Watch Elisabeth Fay and Jamie Root Give an Update by Video

In a democratic union like Contract Faculty United – UAW, transparency and participation are essential. That’s why we, your elected bargaining committee members, are committed to open bargaining and sending you updates after each bargaining session. You can also find these updates on our website.

Yesterday afternoon, we sat down with the NYU administration’s team for our first collective bargaining session. We invited eight contract faculty observers currently serving as our elected representatives in school and university governance, and we were also joined by two unexpected but very welcome guests: Industry Associate Professor and member of the bargaining committee Benedetta Piantella’s two children. Like many contract faculty parents, Professor Piantella was juggling responsibilities at work and at home yesterday, when New York public schools were out of session. As she said in the room, what we win at the bargaining table will have a direct effect on her children’s — indeed, on all of our families’ — lives.

We introduced ourselves, laid out the bargaining goals you ratified, and presented our first proposal: the Recognition article, which defines our bargaining unit and lays the groundwork for our contract. Even though both parties had previously agreed to the substance of this article when we worked out the details of our union election, the administration’s team was unwilling to sign off on it in the room. We won a key initial demand: open hybrid bargaining, which ensures that you’ll be able to observe all future bargaining sessions, in-person or on Zoom, and to review the contract language we’re discussing at the table. If you can’t make live sessions, you can follow along by reviewing updates on our website and our Article Tracker.

We hope you’ll do more than follow along. We had a successful bargaining session yesterday because we came with observers and because of the strength of our rally on Thursday. To win the strong contract we deserve, we need everyone to keep showing up, keep sharing your stories, and keep standing together to win.

Open bargaining shows the NYU administration that the eleven of us aren’t just speaking for ourselves. We are working for, and are accountable to, you. Watch this space — and our website — for details on how you can participate. We hope every union member will come to at least one bargaining session, and we hope you save the date for our next one: Monday, November 18, from 3pm to 6pm. Please RSVP here if you’d like to attend a session as an observer.

In Solidarity,

Contract Faculty United – UAW Bargaining Committee

Benedetta Piantella
Chris Chan Roberson
Elisabeth Fay
Fanny Shum
Heidi White
Jacob Remes
Jamie Root
Peter Li
Richard Dorritie
Robin Harvey
Thomas Hill