Visual Arts School Faculty in New York Form Union
The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York has joined the ranks of unionized institutions, following a 77% vote in favor of unionizing with the United Auto Workers (UAW) by over 1,200 instructors. This unionization marks SVA's entry into the same labor umbrella as Columbia, New York University, and Parsons.
The newly formed SVA Faculty United-UAW will enter negotiations for their first contract this summer. The move towards unionization was underpinned by concerns over stagnant wages, heavier course loads, and the elimination of retirement contributions and paid sabbaticals. Adjunct faculty, who form the majority of SVA's teaching corps, have seen their financial security and morale eroded, according to labor organizers.
In a statement, a spokesperson for SVA pledged to engage in good faith during contract negotiations. The institution, which oversees around 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, has been one of many art schools in the U.S. pushing for union efforts amid a period of decreasing student enrollment following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Between 2018 and 2022, SVA's enrolled student numbers dropped by 8 percent, mirroring a similar trend at CalArts, where student numbers dropped by 11 percent between 2019 and 2023. Negotiations this summer are expected to focus on baseline salaries, workload limits, and reinstating retirement contributions. Approval from both the union and SVA's board will be needed for any proposed contracts.
The UAW now represents more than 50,000 academic workers across the U.S., underscoring the increasing need for unions as universities rely heavily on part-time labor. Unionization efforts among art and design schools aim to improve wages and working conditions, particularly for adjunct faculty who have faced challenges such as inadequate compensation, job insecurity, and limited benefits. Successful unionization has the potential to address these issues by negotiating for improved compensation, job security, benefits, and a greater voice in decision-making.
- As the School of Visual Arts (SVA) joins tour ranks of unionized institutions, it becomes part of a larger movement among art and design schools, aiming to enhance wages and working conditions, particularly for adjunct faculty, through unionization.
- With concerns over stagnant wages, heavier course loads, and the elimination of retirement contributions and paid sabbaticals, the newly formed SVA Faculty United-UAW will negotiate for improvements in these areas alongside other issues like job security, benefits, and a greater voice in decision-making.
- The push for unionization among visual arts institutions, such as SVA, has been amplified by the recent trends in the education sector, as universities nationwide rely on part-time labor, a pattern that has sparked a growing need for unions like the UAW in the realm of education-and-self-development as well as general-news.
