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Dear Members,
We had our seventh Bargaining Session last Friday, and we presented four counter proposals (our counters to their counters) and they presented three more counters to our proposals.
And it got heated.
Our administration’s counters completely rejected our proposals in favor of maintaining the status quo. In some cases, they proposed worse working conditions than we have now. For example, one of their counters would require some Clinical Professors to teach more classes a semester than they are required to now. Another counter would see all instructors without terminal degrees demoted to part time lecturers.
Our team’s spokespeople expressed our frustration with these regressive counters. We told our administrators that they were not meaningfully engaging with our proposals in a way that would improve our member’s living and working conditions.
They responded by saying that our proposals were unreasonable and that we were asking for the sky. However, many of the proposals they rejected were based on policies that have been implemented at other universities. Is it unreasonable for us to ask for basic reappointment rights and job security protections? Is it unreasonable for part-time faculty, many of whom have been teaching at LMU for over a decade, to be guaranteed a first round interview when applying for full-time positions? These changes would cost the university nothing, yet they were completely rejected.
When confronted, management’s team tried to plead poverty and pit our interests against those of our students. They expect us to believe that there is no money to ensure fair working conditions and living wages for faculty without raising student tuition, yet there is always money to hire new administrators, to embark on new construction projects, and to plaster LMU’s logo all across the city.
Needless to say, we are not even close to being on the same page right now. They are pushing back hard.
That is why we need all of our members to get informed and involved. Our slack channel is open so that all of you can see what we’re proposing and what they’re countering with.
We also ask you to please continue checking your email in the coming months for updates. Bargaining will continue over the summer, and there will be opportunities for you to get involved.
Join us in calling on our administration to abide by LMU’s mission and deliver a just contract!
Best,
Your Bargaining Committee