Faculty Unionization
SVA has long championed the act of voting, from local elections all the way up to the presidency. The upcoming vote for faculty unionization is no exception.
Every faculty member (1,193 in total) is eligible to vote, all of whom should have a say in the result. Remember to vote by mail between April 15 and May 13, 2025. The College encourages you to get as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision.
Did You Know?
If the Union wins, there is no opting out of union representation.
A simple majority of the votes cast will determine the election. That means if only 100 faculty members submit ballots, 51 votes in favor of unionization will mean that all 1,193 faculty members will be in the union. This is why it is important that you vote.
You can VOTE NO even if you signed a union card.
You are not bound by any prior support for the Union and are free to make your own decision.
A Vote for SVA Faculty United-UAW is a Vote for Union Dues
All union members have to pay dues.
If there is a union security clause–which is present in every collective bargaining agreement we are aware of negotiated by the Union–then you must pay union dues or the equivalent of union dues (even if you decline union membership).
UAW union dues range from 1.44% to 2% of pay.
You would have to get a pay increase at least 1.44% more than SVA’s usual increase (assuming those are agreed to in the union contract) just to break even.
If your gross monthly salary is $2,500, you would end up paying the Union at least $36 each month in dues, or over $350 for each academic year.
The Union can also charge members assessments (extra money the Union tells members they have to pay) and fines (money you must pay for violating the Union’s rules).
UAW Cannot Guarantee Anything in Negotiations
If the union has made promises about benefits you will receive, those promises are not true. The Union can promise you anything to get you to vote. By law, SVA can only tell you the truth.
If the Union wins, all that it gets is the right to negotiate with SVA. Nothing else happens automatically. SVA has to agree to each and every term of the contract in order for a deal to be made.
If SVA negotiates a contract with the Union, every term and condition of employment is on the table. In negotiations, things can go up and things can go down. No one can guarantee the results.
Negotiations can drag on for years, such as the ongoing negotiations between SVA and IATSE Local 306, which have continued for over 16 months. Do you want your terms and conditions of employment up in the air for years?
What Happens If There Is a Strike?
Union strikes are extremely risky.
One of the tools a Union has to try and force a deal during contract negotiations is a strike. If contract talks stall, it is common for the union to take a vote among employees to authorize a strike.
If employees vote in favor of a strike, the Union can order everyone to go on strike at any point thereafter.
If SVA Faculty United – UAW orders a strike, that means no wages and no benefits for faculty during the strike.
Your students will lose access to your courses and mentorship for the duration of the strike.
You Must Ask Yourself
How long can I go without working at SVA, without pay or benefits?
Some UAW-represented workers have gone on strike for months, such as those represented by UAW Local 2320 in New York.
In 2022, UAW had a 25-day strike at The New School for its part-time faculty. That possibility is what you would be voting for.
If there is a strike, can this Union protect me and my interests?
Art Schools Are At Risk
SVA is the premiere art school in New York City and plans to hold that title for many years to come, but some things are out of our control. Across the country, unionized arts institutions have suffered after unionization and union actions. There are, of course, lots of factors that lead to financial trouble but it is important to know the following:
Enrollment is declining from students abroad due to new immigration policies.
Healthcare and other benefit costs continue to skyrocket.
The New School now faces huge deficits. Pressured to make concessions in CBA negotiations after a 25-day UAW strike, The New School ended up with a projected $52 million deficit for Fiscal Year 2024. Its Board of Trustees admitted that the massive deficit was driven by the “financial impact of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with ACT-UAW Local 7902.”
San Francisco Art Institute closed in July 2022 due to financial instability. Its faculty voted to unionized in 2017.
University of the Arts closed in September 2024 due to financial instability. Its faculty voted to unionize in 2020.
As a faculty member, you must ask yourself, Is unionization the right long-term choice for me and SVA? When you consider all of the facts, I hope you see that VOTING NO is the right decision.
Remember to vote between April 15 through May 13. It is your choice.
– David Rhodes, President