NYU Makes Economic Proposal; Bargaining Continues

After months of bargaining and intensive organizing around our demand for a fair contract, the Administration has finally made an economic proposal.  Characterizing the offer as “a framework for settlement,” the Administration proposed:

• A six year agreement that would expire 8/30/20.
• Teaching pay would be based on whatever Local 7902, the adjunct union, bargained in its contract.
• A minimum hourly rate for “non-teaching employees” of $13 per hour effective 2014-15 which would increase by $1/hour for each subsequent year of the contract reaching $19/hour by the end of the proposed agreement.
• 50% subsidy of healthcare premium costs for individual basic coverage for graduate employees not covered currently
• Stipend rates for current employees would not be lowered over the life of the agreement but there was no agreement on incoming graduate students.
• A week’s paid vacation for employees who worked 6 months without a paid break
• A small fund to employ graduate employees to perform work for the union
• The Administration also agreed to consider an increase to the child care subsidy fund depending upon overall costs but proposed no specific number.

Although the Administration committee made it clear that this was not their final economic offer, their proposal is disappointing even as a starting point.  It falls short on improving health care coverage, in providing family and child care benefits, and does not adequately address the low-wage end of the bargaining unit.  In addition, it fails to guarantee stipends for future employees and even restricts our right to bargain over teaching pay.

Over 1,000 graduate students signed our open letter to the University administration, demanding a fair contract this semester.  While we have made significant progress in securing extremely important non-economic rights as part of a contract, we remain far apart on the economics.  We will continue to push the Administration to settle this semester but we cannot and will not recommend an agreement that does not fairly address the real needs of our members.  We will continue to update union supporters with any new developments in negotiations as they happen.