Response to Petition to National Labor Relations Board

Dear Colleagues,

Today, Skidmore College provided the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with a formal response to the petition of the Service Employees International Union to represent our non-tenure-track faculty colleagues.

The College has asked the NLRB to schedule an election in the Fall of 2022 to ensure that the greatest number of eligible faculty can participate if they wish to do so. Many members of the potential bargaining unit will not be expecting to engage in college business over the summer, as they are on vacation, conducting their own professional, creative or scholarly work, or will be otherwise away from campus. Making sure that as many of the eligible employees as possible are able to discuss the issue and exercise their right to vote seems most appropriate. 

The College also asked the NLRB to explore two questions: First, to examine the roles and responsibilities of non-tenure-track faculty to determine which faculty members should be considered employees and which have managerial duties; and second, to consider the differences between full-time and part-time non-tenure-track faculty to determine whether the two share a true community of interest such that they should be represented by the same bargaining unit.

This is the appropriate time to pose questions so that the NLRB, as the impartial federal arbiter, can decide them and so that we can share with our colleagues important information that is relevant to their individual decisions. We will continue to share information, support our colleagues, and follow the NLRB process.

Sincerely,

Michael Orr
Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs