Frequently Asked Questions

SCU

adjunct &

               lecturer

              union ..salu! 


greetings! salu!

The Contract Action Team [CAT], a volunteer group of SCU lecturers from all ranks and all schools, offers this 2023 FAQ sheet about unionization terms & the unionization process for all members of the bargaining unit in our newly forming SEIU Local 1021 SCU Chapter. We will be referring to our union as SALU, a word that can mean hello… or health... 


Q1: Who is in the Bargaining Unit [BU]?

Full-time and regular part-time employees of SCU who are:

  • Lecturers, Senior Lecturers

  • Quarterly/Semester Adjunct Lecturers

  • Dean's Executive Professors

  • Professors of Practice

  • Adjunct Professors

  • Academic Year Adjunct Lecturers

Exceptions include: Lecturers in the School of Law and the Jesuit School of Theology and various individuals holding, for example, managerial/administrative positions. Those who are non tenure-track and not in the BU will not be covered by the contract. 

Q2: I’m in the BU. Am I automatically a union member?

No. Lecturers, Professors of Practice, etc., at SCU need to SIGN UP to become union members by filling out a very short form. Lecturers in the bargaining unit will be either (i) union members or (ii) “fee payers” after the contract is approved depending on whether they take this action.

Q3: When will dues be collected?

NO ONE pays dues until our first contract is ratified. Once the first contract is voted on and approved, union members will begin paying dues, currently estimated to be about 1.74% of salary. The difference between the agency fee paid by non-members and the dues paid by members is nominal (roughly 0.2%). 

Q4: How do I sign up to be a union member?

It is easy: follow this link (it is included in all our CAT emails to the bargaining unit). Sign up once, and you are in! Again, remember, there are NO dues until we ratify a contract! 

Q5: If dues will not be collected for a while, why should I become a union member early on?

Robust membership now sends a strong signal of solidarity to the administration; it shows that the BU will be an active union full of voting members who are keeping a close watch over the negotiating process. Becoming a union member and getting involved from the outset of negotiations will support the bargaining team in their negotiations, which will in turn help us win the agreement we need and deserve.

Q6: Who is on the Bargaining Team?

The BT, or Bargaining Team, is a group of 5 representatives and one alternate elected by members of the Bargaining Unit. The Bargaining Team serves the entire BU. They are at the negotiating table with administrators and lawyers representing SCU.

The CAT, or Contract Action Team, keeps everyone apprised of the progress of the BT at the negotiations table and what collective actions we can take to support that progress. You voted in your first Bargaining Team in Fall 2022. Those folks are:

  • Brian Buckley, Philosophy, A&S

  • Maggie Levantovskaya, English, A&S

  • Deirdre Frontczak, Mgmt & Marketing, LSB

  • Natalie Linnell, Math/Computer Science, A&S

  • Patricia Cameron-Loyd, Economics, LSB

  • Seiko Fujii, Alternate, Modern Languages, A&S


Learn more about them on the homepage of this website!

Q7: Who are the leaders of the Contract Action Team?

Dozens of BU members will be a part of the CAT and assist with communications and actions. 

The leaders of the CAT are Madeline Cronin, Shilpa Dasgupta, Derek Duarte, Josh Grice, Dawn Hart, Kristin Kusanovich, Rita Madarassy, Michael McElfresh, Loring Pfeiffer, Emily Ray Reese, Sandy Piderit, Robin Tremblay-McGaw.

Join the CAT by emailing any CAT leader.

Q8: How do I give input on various topics of concern to me and be a part of the current process of negotiations for our first contract?

The BT uses campus surveys and data or reports on lecturers or issues previously conducted as well as BU surveys such as the one administered in fall 2022. When the BT needs more input on a certain topic the CAT will host a topical listening session and invite BU members to use the forms below to offer additional feedback to the Bargaining Team. A few of the initial requests for more info were on these subjects: Benefits/Benefits for QALs | Racial Justice and Equity | Performance Evaluations | Health Benefits

For general concerns kindly use this short general input form to give input to the Bargaining Team on any concern you would wish for your union to address.

Q9: How do I know how negotiations for our first contract are going?

Though the negotiation process is a closed and confidential process overall, the BT shares a summary of each negotiating meeting with the entire campus every two weeks via email. If you are not receiving this update from your fellow lecturers, please see anyone on the CAT team.

The updates will also be posted on this website on the updates page here.

Summary:

  1. If you are in the bargaining unit you are automatically a fee-payer, and will be covered by any new, ratified contract, but you are not automatically a union member and must join to have a vote on your contract, or an action, or to serve on a committee or take on a leadership role.

  2. Dues are not collected until the contract is ratified by union members but you need to become a union member now to build a strong union. The difference between a fee-payer’s and a union member’s dues is approx 0.2%.

  3. You can give input in person, via a meeting, email, or through the links shared to  topical or general forms anytime. Any BU member may join the CAT anytime (monthly meetings) or the CAT leadership team (weekly meetings) or you can run for an elected BT position when elections happen. You can attend Faculty Senate Council meetings and others on campus fora for staying apprised of issues.

Glossary

General Union FAQs

What is a union and how does it work?

A union is a group of workers who have come together to utilize their collective power in order to improve their working conditions. At Santa Clara University, we are the union - non-tenure track faculty. By joining forces and forming our union, we have a legal, democratic, transparent, and effective means to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions with the university. Although the administration continues to spread misinformation of a union being an outside third party, it is simply untrue. We will be responsible for shaping the union into being what we want it to be. Through contract bargaining and beyond, adjuncts and lecturers will advocate for our own best interests, rather than trusting the administration to decide what is best for us.

Who is eligible to be part of the SCU Adjunct & Lecturer Union?

All non-tenure track faculty teaching at Santa Clara University in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Counseling and Psychology, and the Leavey School of Business are eligible to be part of our union. However, as part of the stipulated election agreement with National Labor Relations Board, the administration has excluded a small number of non-tenure track faculty that serve on the senior lecturer committee, in supervisory roles such as department chair, and members of religious community (ordained clergy).

Will the SCU Adjunct & Lecturer Union replace Santa Clara’s existing system of shared governance?

No. The presence of a union does not supplant any part of shared governance. Shared governance can continue exactly as it is at present. However, the shared governance committees at SCU are only advisory in nature wherein the administration can choose to act upon said recommendations or not and as they please. With our union, Santa Clara leadership is legally obligated to negotiate all items related to our working conditions with our union, giving SCU Adjuncts and Lecturers not just a voice, but a legitimate and powerful seat at the table. We hope that once we win our union we can partner with the already-existing committees at SCU and work as a community to create the best working environment for all SCU faculty and thereby create the best learning environment for our students.

Will our union prevent me from trying to resolve workplace issues on my own?

No. Unionization does not replace your ability to communicate directly with your supervisor or collaborate with SCU administration or other SCU community members about your workplace issues. However, our union offers the additional support of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which includes clearly stated policies and mechanisms for accountability that SCU is legally obligated to honor. In essence, by winning our union and ratifying our first CBA, non-tenure track faculty have not just a voice at SCU in regards to our working conditions, but real power to ensure that the SCU administration honors their word – in addition to an individual’s desire to speak up and collaborate on their own.

How can a union increase job stability, longevity, and opportunities for promotion?

A union greatly increases job stability and transparency across the board.  Collective bargaining agreements outline a clear and transparent process for compensation, reappointment, and create more paths for promotion and continued employment.  In higher education, many CBAs include increased compensation for course development, high course loads and enrollment, course cancellations, professional development, and paid leave.  

Additionally, collective bargaining agreements include a fair and transparent progressive disciplinary process.  The administration will no longer be able to arbitrarily discipline or terminate non-tenure track faculty without documented just cause.  If disciplinary issues do arise, an employee has the right to union representation during investigatory meetings, often referred to as Weingarten rights. 

What is meant by the term “exclusive representative”?

The term ‘sole and exclusive representative’ ensures Santa Clara University recognizes the affiliated union who supports us as we collectively bargain. In our case, we have chosen SEIU 1021 to be our exclusive representative. At SCU, the priorities and decisions impacting our union will be led by us, non-tenure track faculty.

Why SEIU?

SEIU (Service Employees International Union) is one of the largest unions in the country with about 2 million members from many lines of work including higher education, healthcare, the nonprofit sector, and the public sector, among others. SEIU is a powerful force for social justice in our nation and their principles align with our mission at SCU to uphold Jesuit values. SEIU represents over 50,000 faculty at 60 Universities and colleges nationwide. In the Bay Area alone over 1,700 faculty at higher education institutions have joined SEIU 1021 (the Northern California SEIU Chapter), including St. Mary’s College, Dominican University, Holy Names University, and California College of the Arts. SEIU is also affiliated with the California Faculty Association (CFA) who cover faculty and staff at California State Universities. Nationwide SEIU is present at other Jesuit Institutions such as Georgetown University, Fordham University, and Loyola University Chicago.

Are there union dues?

Yes, but not until after members of our collective bargaining unit participate, review, and vote on the negotiated contract. We would be very unlikely to approve a contract that does not include enough benefit to at least offset dues. If contract negotiations do not yield an outcome that satisfies the majority of the unit, the elected bargaining team will return to the bargaining table to continue negotiations. Upon ratification of the contract, union member dues are 1.74% of base salary and there are no initiation fees.

What is the post-election process?

After winning our union election, we will continue to organize and advocate for needed improvements at SCU.  Every member of the bargaining unit will be invited and encouraged to participate in meetings, surveys, and conversations that help identify the top priorities for non-tenure track faculty.  Adjuncts and lecturers will nominate and elect peers to serve on the contract bargaining team.  The elected team, supported by a lead negotiator and legal team, will negotiate our first collective bargaining agreement with the administration.  After a tentative collective bargaining agreement is reached, it will be voted on by all non-tenure track faculty in the bargaining unit.  

What is a grievance procedure?

A means of internal dispute resolution providing an employee with a mechanism to resolve issues of concern. The process for filing and resolving grievances can vary based on language negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement, but the goal is always to resolve the grievance at the lowest possible level between an employee and direct supervisor. If this is not possible, the process can move forward up the steps to arbitration. An effective grievance procedure gives employees a fair and objective system to raise issues and complaints without fear of negative repercussions.