Dear Colleagues:
First and foremost, our thoughts and concerns are with all of those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles County. Many faculty who have been affected by the wildfires – some in the most severe ways – have returned to teach either in-person or over Zoom at great personal sacrifice. The kindness, courage, and resilience of USC’s faculty remind our entire community what it means to be a member of the Trojan Family.
In light of these recent events taking priority, we recognize that faculty unionization efforts may remain far from the minds of many. However, because these matters continue to develop, we wanted to write today with a follow-up.
Last month, we shared the news that the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (better known as the United Auto Workers, or UAW) is seeking to unionize all our full-time and part-time RTPC faculty (except for part-time and adjunct faculty in the School of Cinematic Arts, as well as all faculty in the Keck School of Medicine, visiting faculty, and emeriti faculty). On January 6, a hearing with USC and the UAW before the NLRB began that could impact these issues. The hearing continues now after some postponements due to the wildfires.
In response to last month’s communication, many of you sent us questions. With this email, we make our best effort to address those questions and provide clarity on some concerns. Below is information about the process for the unionization efforts and the potential impacts of unionization on shared governance and individual choice.
We believe that, legally, our faculty are managers and supervisors and are not eligible to be represented by a union, and the courts may ultimately have to rule on that. In particular, our faculty, both RTPC and tenure-stream, play a central role in managing the university through their participation in faculty governance. As supervisors, faculty play a critical role in decision-making about hiring, promotion, and corrective action of peers, and provide oversight of others, including TAs, RAs, and lab staff.
What is the process for union organizing?
- Outreach From Union Organizers – Outreach from union organizers is generally outside our control. However, union organizers from UAW are not permitted in non-public areas, including inside our non-public buildings. If you observe any individual without a legitimate university purpose in non-public areas, please ask them to leave and/or call DPS. If individuals are following you to your car and you do not wish to speak with them, you should similarly advise them to leave and/or call DPS.
- Authorization Cards Not Binding – Signing a union authorization card doesn’t bind you to voting “yes” in any union election. The vote is conducted through a secret ballot election in which you can vote as you choose.
- Election – If the NLRB rules that an election should be held, and if the UAW wins, the union would become the exclusive bargaining representative for all RTPC faculty (with the above exceptions) whether or not you voted and regardless of how you voted.
- Collective Bargaining – If the union is voted in, the university and the UAW would begin what is known as “collective bargaining,” a process by which a union and an employer negotiate the terms and conditions of employment, including wages and benefits.
How would unionization impact shared governance?
- While we cannot predict what would happen in collective bargaining, the reality is that good faith bargaining could result in changes to faculty governance.
- USC remains committed to shared governance as the mainstay of collegial decision making on matters impacting faculty. We honor the Academic Senate’s decision that all faculty – RTPC and tenure-stream, full- and part-time – have an equal vote for Senate leadership, and all can serve as leaders and on the Senate’s committees. This may be unique among our peer universities, and we’re proud of that.
- Shared governance extends well beyond the Academic Senate and includes, in part, participation on faculty councils, service on university, school, or departmental committees, and playing a central role in decision-making that impacts academic programs, finance, enrollment, academic policy, and personnel policies and decisions.
- With a union in place, the university would be obligated to bargain in good faith about wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment with the union. A collective bargaining agreement, if reached, would ultimately govern these issues.
What effect would unionization have on individual choice?
- If there is a collective bargaining agreement between the union and the university, it binds all faculty in the bargaining unit, and no individual (or department) can opt-out of the obligations of the agreement. We believe this to be inequitable to our colleagues who do not wish to have the union speak for them for their own personal or professional reasons.
- Having a union means there would be a third party between the university and the faculty. One of the advantages we have here, without a union, is that departments, programs, and faculty have been able to work things out on an informal, direct basis – this includes resolving issues on compensation, course loads, and other central elements of our work. * But where there is a union, there are typically lots of rules that are written down in a collective bargaining agreement, and some of the flexibility that we all enjoy here becomes a matter of contract and rule. In fact, if there is a union, the union representative has the right to be present whenever any represented faculty member’s grievance is being resolved, and the union representative can object to any resolution that is “inconsistent” with the collective bargaining agreement.
- While we cannot predict the outcome of collective bargaining, individual arrangements to meet a faculty member’s personal and particular situation may be limited by the outcome of negotiations with the union.
- Union contracts tend to propose one-size-fits-all mandates, irrespective of the different needs and circumstances of individual faculty. In many union contracts, wages change by a flat percentage and everyone in the same classification with the same years of service receives the same thing, regardless of individual achievements, contributions, or service.
More information
We will continue to update you as things progress. Please keep sending any questions you have to uscprovost@usc.edu. We’ve posted last month’s FAQs at: https://www.provost.usc.edu/recent-union-solicitations-frequently-asked-questions/
Most importantly, thank you for all that you do for our students and for each other. We are extremely grateful to stand with generous colleagues who care deeply about their peers and this institution. We are of the deep belief that together, in collaboration and conversation, we can accomplish anything.
Sincerely,
Andrew T. Guzman
Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
Steven D. Shapiro
Senior Vice President of Health Affairs