Supporters,
Exciting news! After the clear showing of support from non-tenure-track (NTT) and tenure-track faculty at last week’s faculty meeting, the College administration has agreed to withdraw its managerial objection to our union. We’ve reached an election agreement with the College administration, who have insisted that voting be held in the fall from September 12th-26th, 2022, by mail. These election dates are later than we initially hoped for, but agreeing to this timeline has prevented any further legal delays by the College administration. The finish line is now in sight, and we’re confident that we can work together in the next few months for a clear victory when votes are counted on September 27th.
By setting the election dates, we’ve also now established clear eligibility parameters for the election: all part-time (PT) faculty employed on September 7th, 2022, and/or who were employed this academic year (2021-22); and all full-time (FT) NTT faculty who will be employed on September 7th, 2022. This means that newly arriving faculty will be eligible to vote, so we’re counting on everyone to reach out to your new colleagues to help spread the word and build support in advance of the election.
As a condition of dropping the managerial objection, the College administration insisted that FT and PT faculty establish parallel bargaining units. What this means is that each group’s votes will be counted separately, with a clear majority (50%+1) needed in each cohort. What this doesn’t mean, however, is separate unions. We’re one group, will be members of a single chapter, and will sit down together at the bargaining table. After months of organizing, members of both groups have made their voices clear–a union is the right solution for Skidmore’s NTT faculty, regardless of their status.
Now that we have an election date in sight, we’ve got big plans for the upcoming summer months. You’ll hear from organizing committee members about the upcoming vote and about looking forward to the negotiations phase. We’ll also be helping to welcome our new colleagues to campus in August with a welcome party and new faculty orientation outreach, so keep an eye out for invitations to come.
As always, follow our website for updates on media coverage, FAQs, and other events, and reach out if you’re interested in getting more involved in organizing.
Yours in solidarity,
The Organizing Committee
Diana Barnes, Senior Teaching Professor, World Languages and Literatures
Susan Blake, Visiting Assistant Professor, Philosophy
Lindsay Buchman, Visiting Assistant Professor, Art
Tom Johnson, Visiting Assistant Professor, Music
Ruth McAdams, Teaching Professor, English
Peter Murray, Teaching Professor, Philosophy
Amy Oh, Teaching Professor, Classics
Mike Paulmeno, Systems Librarian
Kristi Peterson, Visiting Assistant Professor, Art History
Jenessa Seymour, Visiting Assistant Professor, Psychology
Eileen Sperry, Lecturer, English
Gregory Spinner, Teaching Professor, Religious Studies