Brief summary of bargaining session 10: On Tuesday, June 28, we had our tenth bargaining session with the Barnard administration. We exchanged proposals on grievance and arbitration, academic freedom and access to services (office space, equipment, library privileges, etc.). We made some progress in these areas but still did not reach final agreement on language. Nor did the administration move on more contentious issues such as wages, benefits, re-appointment rights, or union rights. The pace of negotiations continues to be glacial, driven by the administration’s ongoing rejection (through their corporate antiunion chief negotiator) of the notion that the contingent faculty should have any form of security or parity at Barnard. We will provide all BCF-UAW members with a detailed report on the progress of bargaining later in the summer. In the meantime, please contact any member of the Bargaining Committee with your questions.

Future sessions and next steps: There will be a hiatus in bargaining over the month of July, because of scheduling issues, but three bargaining sessions are scheduled for August. The Bargaining Committee will spend the hiatus reaching out to you via phone and email in order to discuss our options for ramping up activism for the fall semester, building on our strong presence at the Emily Gregory Teaching Award Dinner, at the Annual Fundraising Gala at the Plaza Hotel, and at Alumnae Reunion Weekend. Out of the latter, hundreds of Barnard alumnae, ranging so far from the Class of 1941 to the Class of 2016, have signed a petition urging President Spar and Provost Bell to bargain with us in good faith. That number continues to grow.

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