Dear Mercy College Faculty,
Tomorrow, April 17, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will be mailing a ballot to you regarding efforts by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to unionize Mercy’s adjunct faculty. I urge you to read all the directions carefully for properly marking your ballot and correctly mailing it back to the NLRB. If you don’t follow the instructions exactly as indicated in the letter, your ballot will not be counted.Your ballot is secret and no one will know how you voted, so please vote however you feel is best—but please vote. Every vote is important to this process, and I urge you to cast your vote and mail it to the NLRB at least a few days prior to the May 1 deadline for receipt.
I hope you have had a chance to review my video regarding adjunct salary increases in light of The College of New Rochelle agreement, as well as Mercy College’s position on unionization. If not, I invite you to watch it here. Also, at https://www.mercy.edu/adjunct-organizing-information, we have provided:
- Frequently asked questions throughout this unionization process
- Background information on the SEIU, its financial struggles, and recent strike action against the SEIU by its own employeeshttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/union-employees-authorize-a-strike-against-their-own-union_n_5c881359e4b0fbd7661e9bce
- Information regarding the realities and limitations of the collective bargaining process and the SEIU negotiated contracts at other institutions
In addition to reviewing this material, I would suggest that you perform your own research in making whatever decision is right for you. One important reminder is that no one can predict what the outcome of collective bargaining would be, but I know from experience that Mercy College is committed to the long-term health of this institution and keeping us competitive with other schools. Mercy College will not negotiate union proposals that are deemed irresponsible and do not make financial sense.
I have also heard that the SEIU is promoting the idea that unionization is easily reversible. To those who say you have “nothing to lose” and you can always get rid of the SEIU if it does not work out, this is not correct. There is a process for removing a union under federal labor law called decertification, but the law is deliberately designed to make this extremely difficult to accomplish. As a practical matter, if the SEIU wins this election, all adjuncts will likely be forced to remain with the union for quite some time, regardless of whether you are disappointed in the results.
The discussion and debate about this issue illustrates that Mercy College is an open, engaged community and a rewarding place to work, and I have valued the thoughtful responses I have received over the last few weeks. We know that many part-time faculty members have some very legitimate concerns, but I strongly believe that joining the SEIU is not the answer. The best way we can improve this community is together.
My hope is that you will give me and the college time to work on your behalf.
Sincerely,
Tim Hall
President