Share
Share
Dear Unit Members,
Last Friday, we concluded our 6th bargaining session with management. In total, we have now introduced 37 article proposals, whereas the management team has presented 2 proposals, and they have presented 9 counter proposals.
Union Proposals (4/11)
In the most recent bargaining session, we proposed a Leave of Absence article that would establish paid family and medical leave, paid child bonding leave, paid pregnancy disability leave, and paid bereavement leave. We also proposed an unpaid academia-related leave that could be invoked once every 5 years for faculty to engage in academic/discipline related pursuits without having to teach.
Management Proposals/Counters (4/11)
The management team presented counters to the following 6 proposals:
Grievance and Arbitration
Discipline and Discharge
Union Security and Checkoff
Unemployment Insurance
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Certification
NTTF Language, Titles, Ranks, and Categories
We believe we are making progress on many of these articles, but we must draw your attention to management’s counter to our article on NTTF Language, Titles, Ranks, and Categories. Our proposal largely mirrored the Working Group proposal initially shepherded by Provost Poon, endorsed by the Faculty Senate, and approved by a vote of the full faculty of LMU. This proposal was based on best practices employed by our comparator schools, including the University of Arizona (which won a Delphi Award for a similar initiative), and it would have provided major improvements for NTTF.
Not only has management opted to ignore the faculty senate and reject these proposed changes, their counter proposal would demote all instructors without terminal degrees to part-time lecturers. This is unacceptable! We WILL NOT agree to an article that treats our hard-working instructors so unfairly.
Furthermore, our administration has hired yet another law firm to intimidate us with a frivolous copyright lawsuit over our union logo. For more information about this lawsuit threat and our response, check out this recently published article in The Lion.
If any of this concerns you, and if you want a strong contract, we need you to get involved and join us in demanding that our administration lives up to LMU’s values by enacting justice for non-tenure-track faculty.
Please join one of our general membership zoom meetings to get more updates on bargaining and to learn how you can get involved.
Sincerely,
Your Bargaining Team
Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts (BCLA)
Arik Greenberg, Clinical Assistant Professor of Theological Studies
Bryan Wisch, Writing/Rhetorical Arts Instructor
Laura Huffman, Senior Instructor in Modern Languages and Literature
Lauren Cole, Senior Lecturer in History
Mark Gaynor, Lecturer in Philosophy
College of Communication and Fine Arts (CFA)
Barbara Dyer, Senior Lecturer of Music
Darrin Murray, Senior Lecturer of Communication Studies
Jermaine McGhee, Lecturer of Theatre Arts & Dance
Maureen Gonzales, Lecturer of Dance
Nicki Heskin, Assistant Clinical Professor of Production Management
School of Film and Television (SFTV)
Elizabeth Quinn, Senior Lecturer in Screenwriting
Jon Medici, Senior Lecturer of Screenwriting
Leslie La Page, Lecturer of Production Film & Television
Michael Daley, Clinical Associate Professor of Screenwriting
Sam Goff, Lecturer in Animation