WE WON OUR UNION!
Take the Bargaining Survey and Urge USC to Bargain
We just won our historic union election with a resounding 70% “Yes” vote! As of June 10th, 2026, our union is officially certified by the regional office of the NLRB. Rather than respect our decisive democratic vote, the USC administration is attempting to overturn our right to a union and avoid their legal obligation to bargain with us.
But we will not be deterred. We will continue organizing until we win a fair union contract. Take a moment to fill out our bargaining survey to help shape an inclusive agenda for our negotiations, and to reiterate to the administration that we urge them to respect our vote and bargain with us.
We come from varied backgrounds and teach in a wide array of fields and instructional contexts – but we are united in our commitment to USC’s core educational mission. Because we care deeply about that mission and our ability to engage in quality teaching, research and patient care, we also understand the importance of establishing a stronger faculty voice.
Without collective bargaining, the USC administration can and does make unilateral changes to our employment, as they have done in recent years by increasing our healthcare costs, reducing tuition assistance benefits, increasing workloads, and refusing pay increases that address the skyrocketing cost of living. As a union, we can negotiate as equals and secure agreements we reach with USC in a legally-binding contract that they cannot change unilaterally.
By uniting with nearly 4,000 other unionized academic workers at USC, as well as thousands of faculty across the United States who have unionized in recent years, we can not only improve our lives and the quality of education at USC, but also join the larger movement of faculty and other academic workers organizing to protect the future of higher education.
Why Are We Forming a Union?
With a union and collective bargaining, we know we can negotiate for improvements that would make our lives better and would enable us to focus more on providing quality teaching and care to our students and patients, and on conducting world-class, life-saving research.
For a stronger faculty voice
We have a clear choice in this election. Voting “yes” means USC would, for the first time ever, have a legal obligation to negotiate with us over our pay, benefits and working conditions, and to commit any agreements we reach, regarding improvements or maintaining current conditions, into a binding contract. Like tens of thousands of unionized faculty and other academic workers across the US, we would stand a better chance of establishing the pay, benefits and conditions we deserve and that match the value we bring to USC.
A stronger faculty voice makes a stronger USC
We all care deeply about our work advancing USC’s core educational mission. Unfortunately, the unpredictability of our conditions from year to year gets in the way of devoting our full attention to the quality of our work. The clarity, predictability and security of a contract can enable us to make sure that we can focus on providing quality teaching and patient care and build a stronger USC.
Joining the movement to protect higher education
We are joining tens of thousands of other UAW academic workers leading the fight against Trump’s attacks on higher education. UAW local union leaders and members are on the forefront of organizing to preserve research funding, academic freedom and the rights of international scholars.
What other unionized faculty have won?
We know improvements are possible. For example, in their most recent contract, full-time contract faculty at NYU won $14k minimum salary increases for the coming year and presumption of renewal after 2 years, and Barnard Contingent Faculty (BCF-UAW Local 2110) won 40% increases over life of contract for part-time faculty and 18.6% increases over the life of the contract for full-time faculty. USC Graduate Students (GSWOC-UAW Local 872) secured 12% pay increases and guaranteed 3% yearly increases in their first contract.
Click below to learn more about the gains that are possible with a strong union contract, or check out our Union Wins in Higher Ed and at USC page with more info: