May 3 Message from Mercy College: Update on the College's Negotiations with the Adjunct Faculty Union

Dear Mercy College Adjunct Faculty and Lecturers,

Mercy College and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) met on Monday, May 3, 2021 to continue negotiating the initial collective bargaining agreement between the parties. At today’s session, we shared and/or discussed proposals on a variety of collective bargaining agreement topics, including adjunct faculty rank and adjunct faculty compensation.

On the topic of adjunct faculty compensation, the College presented a proposal we believe to be competitive with both the national and regional marketplaces and which includes a commitment to regular future increases in compensation for adjunct faculty members.

In particular, our proposal was designed with two core principles in mind: The first recognizes the important role adjunct faculty play in the fabric of our institution and the long-term commitment many of those faculty members make to our students. The second principle is rooted in the necessary reality of maintaining the College’s solid financial position, which is directly tied to our mission of providing an exceptional education to students while maintaining our low tuition price point.

The College’s administration works diligently to manage its expenses and meet the goal of maintaining compensation levels and general working conditions that are competitive with what our private college peer institutions are providing. Student tuition is used for a wide variety of College services, activities, and resources. These not only include costs associated with offering each class, but also include expenses directly related to the classroom experience (including faculty salaries, classroom technology and any course-specific supplies) as well as expenses related to supporting students’ academic experience (including tutoring, PACT, health and wellness services and student life activities), and expenses related to operational costs of the College (including rent, and maintenance).

We have made significant progress toward reaching an overall initial labor agreement. At today’s session, the SEIU declined to schedule any future meetings. The College will continue to engage with SEIU and its bargaining team in a good faith effort to build a first contract for as long as it takes to achieve our final goal. We will continue to provide you with regular updates on our progress.

Sincerely,

Mercy College Management Bargaining Team

Kristen Bowes
Saul Fisher
Jessica Haber
Lauren Mackenzie
Annette Piecora