A: Why are we organizing?
For decades, higher education has trended away from tenure-track positions in favor of contingent, non-tenure track teaching appointments that offer no job security, much lower wages, and limited to no opportunities for advancement. USD is part of this trend: Many of its Non-Tenure Track (NTT) Faculty are denied basic protections and rights considered a baseline for other workers.
We are committed to the university’s mission of “advancing academic excellence to create a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful world.” NTT Faculty members seek to make USD the best learning and mentorship environment possible for our students, providing them with the skills, values, and knowledge necessary to be critical thinkers and leaders.
We also want to make progress in our fields, advancing knowledge and understanding. Because our current conditions make these goals difficult, if not impossible, to achieve, NTT Faculty USD are forming unions in their departments, colleges, and schools with SEIU Local 721 — one of the most powerful unions in the country, representing over 100,000 members in Southern California.
If you’re an NTT Faculty member who supports forming a union with your colleagues, then please click here and fill out this union authorization card. If you’d like to become involved in deeper organizing and support building for a union, then please contact Jesus Garcia at 213-280-7707.
Q: What is SEIU?
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is the leader nationally and in California in the representation of NTT faculty. NTT Faculty in USD’s College of Arts and Sciences voted overwhelmingly to join SEIU 721 in summer 2024, joining over 40,000 faculty members across the county who have organized with SEIU.
In California, all NTT Faculty in the CSU system are members of SEIU through the California Faculty Association (CFA). In addition, NTT Faculty at Santa Clara University, St. Mary’s College of California, Occidental College, Otis College of Art and Design, Loyola Marymount University, have organized with SEIU.
Q: Who will be in charge of our union?
A: We, the NTT Faculty at USD, would embody and oversee every aspect of our union. We will use democratic processes to make decisions on what we want to bargain for and ultimately any union contract will need a majority of our votes to pass. As members of SEIU, NTT Faculty ARE the union and are committed to working with faculty across the nation to build a powerful movement that gives faculty a real voice in higher education.
Q: What is meant by the term “exclusive representative”?
A: The term ‘sole and exclusive representative’ is a legal term that ensures that USD will recognize that we are joining SEIU Local 721. Still, as noted above, USD NTT Faculty will lead our union, set its priorities, and shape our first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) — or union contract — with the university, not a third party.
Q: Would a union prevent me from trying to resolve workplace issues on my own?
No. Even after establishing our union, all USD NTT Faculty will still be able to communicate directly with their supervisors and the administration about any workplace issues.
With a union, however, we can establish a union contract that includes protections for NTT Faculty that make them more comfortable bringing issues and concerns to their managers. This includes protections against unfair termination, discrimination, and retaliation — which tend to make employees feel safer bringing problems to their managers.
We will also fight to have our CBA include policies and mechanisms for addressing complaints and concerns individually or collectively. The university will be obligated to follow the guidelines laid out in the CBA by law — which gives us more power and leverage in our discussions with management. For instance, most NTT Faculty union CBAs establish what are called joint-labor management (JLM) meetings — where representatives of NTT Faculty and the university agree to regularly meet, discuss, and address workplace issues. Management can’t simply cancel these meetings without our consent.
In short: A union means much more meaningful and accountable communication with our managers and the administration, not less.
Q: What will a union mean for me in real terms?
A: Forming a union enables Non-Tenure Track Faculty to negotiate collectively for better terms of employment, using democratic processes to ensure that the interests of all Non-Tenure Track Faculty are represented. A union contract will establish a floor for what constitutes fair treatment and compensation, not a ceiling. At present, there is a ceiling but no floor.
Q: How much will it cost? Will I have to pay dues even if I don’t have classes?
No one will pay any union dues until we negotiate a contract establishing agreed-upon terms of employment. We will only approve a contract that results in better pay and working conditions for our members. This contract is then ratified by NTT Faculty through a democratic election. Dues will be 1.5% of our base pay before taxes. There are no initiation fees. No NTT Faculty member will pay dues for periods of time that they are not receiving a paycheck from the university.
Q: Am I allowed to voice my opinion on unionization?
A: Yes. Federal law protects your right to organize a union. Under the National Labor Relations Act, you have the right to talk to your fellow faculty in the workplace about your views on unionization, organize with your coworkers to make your collective views known, attend meetings to discuss the benefits of union representation, and to distribute information to your coworkers about the union. It is against the law for an employer to threaten, coerce, or retaliate against you for exercising these legal rights in the workplace.
Q: What can I do if I feel intimidated at work, or am retaliated against for voicing my opinion on union representation?
It is your legally protected right to join with your coworkers to organize for union representation. If you have been threatened or intimidated for exercising your rights in the workplace, please contact Jesus Garcia at 213-280-7707.
Q: Am I allowed to speak with union organizers during regular work hours?
A: Yes, you are allowed to talk to union organizers during regular work hours to the same extent as you can talk to other non-university employees about non-work matters while at work. This may mean that you would not talk to union organizers during your classroom time or when students are visiting you during office hours, but otherwise may speak to union organizers when you are on campus.
Q: Am I allowed to distribute literature or flyers to my coworkers during regular work hours?
A: Yes, you are allowed to distribute literature to your fellow faculty during regular work hours to the same extent as you can distribute other information to colleagues during this time. However, distribution of literature should not interrupt instruction time.
Q: Am I allowed to speak with union organizers on university property?
A: Yes, you may speak to union organizers on university property to the same extent you are allowed to speak with other individuals who are not associated with the university in areas that are not restricted to university personnel.
Q: Can I send emails voicing my opinion on unionization to my coworkers using my university email account?
A: USD’s computing resources policy states that the university’s computing resources can be used for “the free exchange of ideas among the members of the university community,” so you may use USD email accounts to the same extent you would use them for something that is not directly work-related. If you would be more comfortable using a non-USD account and receiving emails on your non-USD account, please send your non-university email address to Jesus Garcia at Jesus.Garcia@seiu721.org.
Q: What effect will unionization have on faculty governance?
A: The collective power of a union will make our participation in governing bodies like the Faculty Senate more meaningful. While participation in the Faculty Senate can work well for addressing academic issues, there are no meaningful mechanisms for faculty engagement around salaries, benefits, and all other terms of employment.
In the California State University system, the Faculty Senate governs academic issues, while the union negotiates workplace and employment issues. Union members there have successfully used the power of their union to protect faculty voice in academic governance.
Q: What have NTT faculty at other schools achieved by forming a union?
A: Across the country, NTT Faculty who have organized with SEIU have seen significant gains in wages, benefits, job security, and professional development resources.
Faculty at Santa Clara University, Occidental College, Otis College of Art and Design, Tufts University, Lesley University, Georgetown University, and Fordham University all made significant gains in their first contracts. Currently, NTT faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences at USD are negotiating for a first contract.
Q: Could we lose benefits we already have?
A: This has not happened in any faculty contract negotiated by our union, SEIU. In fact, faculty at Occidental College, Otis College of Art and Design, Tufts University, Lesley University, Georgetown University, Fordham University, Santa Clara University all made significant gains in their first contract negotiations .