FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2018

ONTACT: David Scott, Communications Director, Berklee Faculty Union
(617) 833-3931, dscott@berkleefacultyunion.org

Berklee Faculty Union statement on faculty contract negotiations with Berklee College of Music: “When will the College address the Union’s proposals?”

BOSTON — The Berklee Faculty Union entered into contract negotiations on behalf of its members with the Berklee College of Music on July 16, 2018. The Union represents 850-plus Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee faculty. On July 16, the Faculty Union presented the Berklee administration with a comprehensive set of contract proposals. The administration has rejected all of the Union’s substantive proposals, and failed to respond to the Union’s wage proposal.

A statement from the President of the Berklee Faculty Union, Professor Jackson Schultz, follows:

“Since the 2013-16 contract agreement with the Berklee College of Music, the Berklee Faculty Union has agreed to two contract extensions in order to support the college’s effort to acquire the Boston Conservatory. Now that Boston Conservatory is part of Berklee College, the Berklee Faculty Union is in negotiations with the College for a new three year agreement.

“Despite the Union’s best efforts to support the mission of the College by agreeing to two contract extensions, the Berklee administration has yet to respond to the Union’s proposal on wages. Nor has the College engaged in any real bargaining over the Union’s substantive proposals such as reducing course loads, converting more part time faculty to full time each contract year, and more. Instead the College has said no to every one of these proposals and has used our scheduled bargaining time to fuss over word choice of some previously negotiated issues or areas of no real importance.

“When will the College enter into real bargaining and address the Union’s proposals? Why isn't the College discussing economic issues? It’s time for the College to work with faculty to settle a fair contract now.”

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The Berklee Faculty Union has represented Berklee College of Music full-time and part-time faculty at its Boston campus since 1986, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee Faculty since 2017. As a member of the Massachusetts American Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 4412, the Union is led by an elected 15-member executive committee headed by Schultz, a Professor of Jazz Composition.