March 12, 2010

Arbitrator Susan Mackenzie has found NYU's administrators to be in violation of the adjunct faculty union contract by failing to comply with the reappointment procedures, including providing termination pay to adjuncts.

The arbitrator's decision reads in part:

The Employer does violate Article X of the collective bargaining Agreement by precluding Adjunct Instructors who meet the conditions precedent in Article X from eligibility for termination pay solely on the basis that they continue to receive any appointment(s) to teach course(s).

This is an important victory for all of us. We regard these protections as a cornerstone to our job security. Over the life of the contract, the university has violated the contract numerous times, but to date our local has prevailed in each dispute taken to arbitration - 11 so far.