As more and more of our faculty colleagues share why they’re planning to vote yes, we wanted to share an op-ed published in the Daily Trojan from several of us who have served for decades in the Academic Senate about why we support forming a union.
Read the op-ed about why Academic Senate veterans are voting Yes
Many of us have participated in various committees and other forms of the shared governance system at USC. These are important avenues for advocacy – but ultimately, they are advisory. Without collective bargaining, the USC administration can and does make unilateral changes to our employment, as they have in recent years by increasing our healthcare costs, reducing tuition assistance and healthcare benefits, increasing workloads, and refusing pay increases that address the skyrocketing cost of living.
By contrast, if the NLRB certifies that faculty voted in favor of unionization, USC would be legally obligated to bargain in good faith with an elected RTPC/non-tenure-track faculty bargaining committee. Once faculty vote to ratify a contract, it is legally binding and enforceable. Thousands of our unionized faculty colleagues have negotiated meaningful improvements to their pay, benefits and working conditions at universities and colleges across the US – all while protecting the right to continue membership in shared governance on other issues. We know this can work for us at USC, too.
It’s crucial we all have the information we need to participate in our historic upcoming vote. Find more information on our website, and don’t forget to RSVP to our next town hall tomorrow at 11am on Zoom where we’ll be joined by unionized full-time and adjunct faculty colleagues from NYU.
Sincerely,
The UF-UAW Organizing Committee