Anjali Dalal-Whelan / News Editor 

The chants of around 90 students and professors alike filled Colachis Plaza last Thursday during a   rally     in   support of USD’s non-tenure track faculty union. 

The rally, which took place on April 4, was organized by a group of non-tenure track (NTT) professors in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) who are advocating for a union election. In a previous article, The USD Vista reported that NTT professors announced that they were organizing a union in February, after joining with the labor union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721. 

The union organizers are calling on President Harris and other university leaders to commit to holding a fair union election. 

At the rally, NTT professors shared why they advocate for a union.  Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences, Eric Cathcart shared in a speech how he felt a lack of support from the University. 

“Everyone’s been talking about ‘value,’ and how we as non-tenure track faculty are valued, and I got to say from here, that the Environmental Science department values me… I feel valued   from   my department, I feel supported by my department, I do not feel valued by the University, and I do not feel supported by the University,” Cathcart said. 

Some tenure-track faculty were also present at the rally. Associate Professor T.J. Tallie is a tenured professor in the History and  Africana studies departments, and was also invited to share  support for the unionizing faculty. 

“As a tenured faculty member here, I enjoy being paid. I enjoy the work that I get my job, and part of the ability for me to be able to do my job is enabled by unfair labor practices. By people not getting full access to healthcare, by people not having job security,” Tallie said. “My job is important, and I love it, but it is not worth it if it is at the expense of the dignity and respect of my colleagues.” 

The group gathered to hear speeches and then made a short march, looping through the west side of USD’s campus. The march ended at the Hughes Administration building, where they delivered a union election agreement to President Harris’ office. The door was locked, so the agreement was slipped under Harris’ door.

USD’s General Counsel Tom Skinner provided insight into why President Harris has not met with the professors.

“We would have been grateful for the opportunity to meet with the faculty members who organized the campaign prior to the formal launch of their unionization effort, to discuss their concerns,” Skinner explained. “Unfortunately, as one of the organizers stated in a recent University Senate meeting, they chose to ‘have the union recognized’ first, and approached the administration afterward. Once the organizers chose that path, NLRB rules and case law kicked in.   USD is being very careful to follow the letter of both in order not to interfere with the process.”

The majority of the crowd was made up of USD students supporting their professors. 

USD sophomore Buck Cohen explained why he decided to attend the rally. 

“Some  of the most foundational people in my life have been non-tenure track faculty members, and I believe it is a fundamental right of people to have a living wage  and health care,” Cohen shared. “[They deserve] to have the money that they need to live   at    bare minimum, especially at this university where we pay so much tuition.” 

Cohen added that non-tenure professors often teach challenging classes. 

“You could not pay me enough to put up with freshman students who don’t want to be here,” he said. “I would like to see President Harris teach first-year writing and do it well. And non-tenure track faculty members are the ones doing all of these difficult, difficult things.” 

USD senior  Abby Baines    shared  why     she     attended   the   rally. 

“I decided to come because the non-tenure track faculty professors are some of the most hardworking professors on campus because they have to work so much harder to keep their jobs. They also deserve equal access to health care… and benefits that tenured professors get,” Baines expressed. “If you are on a changemaker campus, changemaker students aren’t going to sit idly by as they watch their professors get exploited.”

On April 5, the day after the rally,  the NTT professors filed for a union election with the NLRB. They are asking USD’s administration to sign a stipulated election agreement. If this agreement is signed, NTT professors will vote on whether or not to establish a union.  

While    the unionizing campaign was not able to get a response directly from President Harris on the day of the rally, students, faculty and community members made their voices heard across campus.

Some NTT professors who are attempting to unionize say their jobs have low pay and lack security and benefits. Emma Kate-Squires/The USD Vista