This week, the National Catholic Reporter released a story about Fordham University faculty winning major work improvements in their first contract. The bigger story, however, is about the shifting tide among Jesuit schools.
Faculty at Loyola and Fordham have organized to demand their institutions live up to their values. As a result, Fordham non-tenure track faculty just won a new three-year contract that secures huge wage increases for most adjunct faculty. In April, Loyola non-tenure track faculty won a three-year contract with pay increases of up to 51 percent and more secure and transparent appointments. Now, the pressure is building for institutions like California’s Santa Clara University to do the same.
Despite growing calls for change from faculty, Santa Clara University (SCU) has refused to bargain with adjunct faculty. In June, SCU President Jesuit Fr. Michael Engh, announced he would step down at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year, amidst mounting pressure. You can learn more about the faculty’s efforts to make change on campus here.
