Share
Share
After attempting to bust our union, LMU’s administration has claimed that non-tenure track (NTT) faculty will still have a voice through shared governance in the Faculty Senate.
But what does the admin mean by shared governance? Well, just take it from President Thomas Poon. In May 2024, Poon, then our provost, testified to the National Labor Relations Board that the Faculty Senate’s role was solely advisory.
“They can make recommendations to anyone they please,” Poon said about the senate, “and depending on which area they make [a] recommendation to, that senior leader makes [a] decision on whether to accept that recommendation or not.”
Poon continued: “[I] guess [I] would say if they make [a] decision, it’s not binding… Let’s just put it this way: Any decisions they forward to me, treat as recommendations, because it’s my authority to agree with that decision or not agree with that decision.”
There you have it, folks. Our president believes the Faculty Senate’s role is to make recommendations that he and other senior leaders can approve or shoot down at their discretion. This is what “shared governance” looks like to him.
It’s why Poon and Board Chair Paul Viviano attempted to bust our union with a cynical claim of religious exemption from labor law that means they will no longer bargain with us. They want to maintain total control over our working conditions and pay and ensure we don’t have a meaningful voice.
Without the ability to fight and bargain for a union contract with binding language that transforms our working conditions, we’re stuck with no power. The administration can just ignore any recommendations we give them.
That’s why we’re calling on all NTT faculty members to sign their strike pledge today if they haven’t. We must fight for our union and get LMU back to the bargaining table. This is how we show our power.