UPDATES
Important Message to USD Faculty Regarding Collective Bargaining
April 2, 2024
Providing the best possible work environment for our faculty, regardless of their rank, is vitally important to our community. The members of our USD community are proud of our culture of care and our mission to uphold human dignity. Rooted in our Catholic values, our culture of care is regularly cited as one of the distinguishing and most appreciated characteristics of our campus.
This culture was not created by accident – it was created by members of our community working together intentionally, in direct relationships with each other.
Our NTT faculty are valued colleagues, and their contributions are significant. Over the past decade, the university has made great strides in enhancing and supporting the work of NTT faculty, and this continues to be a priority.
We also understand that there is more to be done. We are committed to working collaboratively with NTT faculty to create the best possible learning environment for our students and work environment for our faculty.
We should ensure that the information considered by all interested parties is accurate, and that everyone is fairly informed so they can make the best decision for themselves and their families as the effort to organize in CAS proceeds. USD encourages every member of our community to ask questions and learn more about unionization – both its pros and cons.
USD respects the right of every individual to form their own opinion and encourages each member of the community to consider whether, and how, inserting a third party might impact our culture of working directly and collaboratively with one another. USD will continue to share information.
From: Karen Haggenmiller, Associate Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer
To: Non-Tenure Track Faculty
Dear USD Faculty,
I am writing in response to an email invitation you may have received recently from a group of individuals within the College of Arts and Sciences attempting to form a collective bargaining unit (CBU) and join the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The very foundation of a free and fair election depends on the distribution of accurate information.
That is why I am flagging several glaring mischaracterizations in that communication.
The organizers and SEIU allege that “the administration is refusing to meet with us to negotiate the terms of a free and fair election.” This is untrue and misleading.
On March 7, in open session in the University Senate meeting, one of the union organizers was asked by a faculty Senator if the group had attempted to meet with the administration to discuss its concerns prior to launching its effort. The representative clearly and unequivocally stated that the group made the deliberate decision to unionize first, and then demand that the administration enter into negotiations.
That fact was not included in the group’s recent email.
The week after the Senate meeting, another of the organizers wrote to President Harris asking to meet. Our Chief Legal Officer, Tom Skinner, responded on behalf of the administration (click here to view email) explaining that the President and the Provost would have been pleased to meet before the organizing effort commenced, but now that the group had launched the formal process, the rules and procedures of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) govern.
I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that the organizers and the University do not set the terms of an election – the NLRB does. The NLRB rules are in place to guarantee what the organizers are asking for – that any election be free and fair. That also was not mentioned in the organizers’ recent email.
A fundamental component of a fair election is that each voter be allowed to make their own decision about whether to form a CBU, and to cast their ballot accordingly.
You recently may have received an email from Provost Baker as well as an email from me explaining the overall situation and providing a link to an informational website usdfacts.com. These communications are an attempt by the University to ensure that accurate information is shared with all, and that individual choices may be made based on it.
A decision to organize, and particularly a decision to bring a union to campus for the first time, has enormous consequences. It has cultural ramifications well beyond the specific proposed CBU, or the school in which it is located. I would like to remind everyone to please fact check any information that you receive –including this email – and ask any questions you may have before you decide whether and how to vote or support the effort.
As I mentioned in my email to non-tenure track faculty in CAS last week, my sincere hope is that we can get to a place where all faculty at USD feel valued and fulfilled, with or without a union. Please feel free to reach out to me any time if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Karen
—
Karen Haggenmiller
Associate Vice President/
Chief Human Resources Officer
Maintaining the best possible work environment for our faculty, both tenure track and non-tenure track, is essential to the academic vitality of our campus. This commitment includes our mission to uphold human dignity and support one another in our pursuit of knowledge. Rooted in our Catholic values, our culture of care is regularly cited as one of the distinguishing and most appreciated characteristics of our campus.
This culture was not created by accident – it was created by members of our community working together intentionally, in direct relationships with each other. The possibility of losing this collaborative environment to a third party would undermine the very core of what makes us unique.
But the concerns of our NTT faculty are real, and we hear you.
The Office of the Provost, faculty committees, and many others at USD have been in substantive conversations with NTT faculty members to identify opportunities for enhanced job stability, compensation, and advancement. The Provost conducted listening sessions with NTT faculty members across USD consistently over the past two years to learn about their concerns and determine how the university could address them. In fact, we had already begun to implement improvements based on these discussions. That’s why we were surprised to learn that the SEIU was working with members of our NTT faculty to form union within the CAS during what we thought was a productive, proactive dialogue.
As fellow academics, your passion is the pursuit of research, education, and scholarship toward truth and discovery. This process should be no different. I encourage every member of our community, particularly our NTT faculty, to ask questions and learn more about unionization – both its pros and cons – before making a decision. We will continue to share information to support you.
Peace,
Jim