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USC faculty move to unionize
USC professors Sanjay Madhav (left) and Kate Levin delivered a petition to USC administrators to recognize their union of adjunct, part time, and full-time non tenured university faculty
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist
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Topline:
Full- and part-time professors filed a petition with USC administrators and the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday to form a union in an effort to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and job security.
Why now: Some faculty say there’s little transparency about USC’s finances and how the private university budget leads to decisions about salaries and benefits.
The union that would represent faculty: The petition seeks representation by United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America — the UAW. The university could recognize the union outright without a vote.
USC said it does not believe its faculty needs a union.
Other unionization efforts: Earlier this year, adjunct faculty at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and post-doctoral workers voted to unionize. In 2023, USC graduate students formed a union of about 3,400 people.
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