Dear Members of the CAS NTT Faculty,

I write to share the unfortunate news that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has notified USD that the NLRB office did not receive many of the ballots cast by CAS NTT faculty in the current unionization election, due to a delivery error by the U.S. Postal Service.

For that reason, the NLRB has declared that ballots previously submitted by USD’s voting faculty are void, and a new election period has been set.

The University’s priority from the beginning has been to ensure that all eligible faculty have the opportunity to vote in a free and fair election.

The mail problem, which was completely outside the control of USD, is particularly unfortunate, and potentially damaging, because under the timeline mandated today by the NLRB, the new election cannot be concluded until weeks after the semester ends.

A fundamental principle of a free and fair election is that as many potential voters as possible be able to participate – in this case, CAS NTT faculty.

We expressed to the NLRB our serious concern that many of our NTT faculty may not be available or in contact with the university for some time after the end of the semester.

To ensure that the maximum number of eligible faculty are available to cast their votes, USD urged that the election be conducted at the beginning of the Fall semester, when faculty return to campus.

However, the Service Employees International Union flatly refused.

The SEIU insisted that the election be restarted immediately, notwithstanding the likelihood of lower voter turnout. The NLRB deferred to the union.

The union’s unwillingness to act in the best interest of all of our faculty members is disappointing. I would like to reiterate USD leadership’s commitment to you and all employees of our campus, which includes continued advocacy with the NLRB.

The NLRB now will mail new ballots to NTT voters beginning May 20 from its Los Angeles office, and the votes will be counted on June 18.

We hope that you will make every effort to ensure that your voice is heard, whether you are in San Diego or not during the voting period.

We will continue to share information about what this decision means for you and our campus, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this confusing and unprecedented development.

Sincerely,

Thomas V. Skinner
Chief Legal Officer and Advisor to the President and Board of Trustees
University of San Diego