On the heels of the recent success of Dowling College adjuncts, who won their first contract over the summer and, with it, significant salary increases, full-time faculty at the Long Island college recently ratified their own agreement for pay raises and increased influence over school governance and curriculum.

Negotiations for the three-year contract, says AFT Local 3890 president Michael Shapiro, were swayed, in part, by an informational picket line that featured signs declaring "No Contract, No Work" and "Bargain in Good Faith." It was enough to capture the attention of an administration that initially proposed conditions far from those the faculty had in mind.

Working from a proposed pay increase of just 2 percent, the final contract provides 4 percent annually, plus a possible 3 percent annual bonus, tied to the university’s growth. The increase helps make up for a disappointing decision on workload: the contract maintains a 24-credit-hour load instead of the 21 hours requested, but includes the opportunity for a three-credit release time to be used for research and development. Shapiro says the 4 percent per year salary increase helped make up for the loss.

Other negotiated issues include health benefits.  Deductibles and co-pays rose, but, Shapiro says, "we were willing to share [health costs] in keeping with other schools; we didn’t put ourselves out on a limb." There was better news for those most concerned with governance issues. Substantial changes will lead to more department-localized  responsibility for programs and personnel. "We set the stage for growth," says chief negotiator Susanne Bleiberg-Seperson, who says governance was put in the hands of individual schools, including arts and sciences, business, education and aviation. "It was very important for us to retain control of the curriculum." The new arrangement is more responsive to the needs of students, she says, and maximizes faculty input.

Shapiro says he kept faculty input in mind as well, making sure each discipline felt represented as the bargaining team proceeded. Both Shapiro and Blieberg-Seperson point out the diversity of that team – it was the first time so many departments came to the table, and the input from academics as diverse as arts and sciences, business, education, and library helped create a more knowledgeable base from which to work. Also present were New York State United Teachers representatives and an outside attorney. "It was a very impressive team," says Bleiberg-Seperson.  "Our message of unity and strength got across to the other side."

Reflecting on the issues on which the union compromised, says Shapiro, "there’s a limit when you . . .  draw a line in the sand." He is sure that when the contract is up, workload will be revisited. In the meantime, although prepared to strike, negotiators were able to forego that event and hammer out an agreement that has drawn considerable member praise.

"I'm satisfied with the final outcome," says Shapiro. [Virginia Myers Kelly]

September 10, 2004