Cal Arts President Steven Lavine and Provost Jeanenne Przyblyski dont seem to like the idea of adjunct faculty organizing... October 5, 2014 From California Institute of the Arts President Steven Lavine sent to all adjuncts and faculty: Dear Faculty, As some of you may already know, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has approached a number of our faculty, both on campus and at their homes, in regard to possible organization efforts. Their activities here at CalArts are in line with their broader, national effort to unionize adjunct and part-time faculty, and we know they have similar campaigns underway at other art schools, including Otis and Art Center. I’m sure this will be the first of several communications on this subject, but since the SEIU’s activities could have significant, long-term consequences for the Institute, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that we are aware of this issue and that we take it very seriously. While the SEIU’s actions currently focus on adjunct faculty, if this organization effort moves forward it will impact the entire Institute so I encourage all faculty members to pay close attention to this issue. The decision will rest squarely in the hands of our faculty, and we support your right to explore all options. We are also prepared to provide the resources and information you need to know in order to help make this critical choice. Here are some important points to keep in mind as this process unfolds: • The union is currently in its initial stages of organizational efforts, which involves soliciting signature cards from faculty. SEIU must collect cards from 30% of eligible faculty in order to petition the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to call for a vote to unionize. • If such a vote is called, SEIU needs only a majority of votes cast (not a majority of eligible faculty) to unionize. • Once a union is in place, every eligible faculty MUST be represented by that union. Faculty may not opt out of union work rules and will mostly likely be required to pay dues or their equivalent. This is why this matter merits your close attention and involvement, however you choose. The results will directly impact you and the working relationships between faculty, Deans, Provost and President.Since coming to CalArts 26 years ago, I have always valued, and continue to value, a close relationship with our faculty members. That mutual respect and direct dialogue is one of the things that defines CalArts—even when we disagree, and I hope to see that ‘open door’ policy endure. The ratification of a proposal by the SEIU could hinder that and cause additional layers that could be a barrier to communication. For example, we are currently working directly with faculty on an in-depth compensation study for regular, technical and special faculty; in the future, if faculty unionizes, such work would be necessarily mediated through the union. Again, the SEIU’s organization efforts could have a profound impact on the Institute and could permanently alter our unique culture. We will be following up with more communication and additional resources on this topic in the coming weeks, and Jeannene and I welcome any questions you may have in the meantime.Sincerely, Steven D. LavinePresident
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 22:49:39 +0000
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