A Letter From Your Union Organizing Committee

Dear Colleagues,

Hope you had a restorative and productive summer! As the new semester dawns, we thought it time to update all of you on the progress of the unionization effort and to outline anew how much a union would help us all.

This summer, efforts on both sides centered around defining the bargaining unit. The bargaining unit is the body represented by the union. It is our deeply held belief that every faculty member whose primary duties are to teach at CIM, whether in the JMP, Academy, or Conservatory, should be a member of the bargaining unit. Of course, the administration argued, and continues to argue, that certain faculty members should be excluded, specifically division and department heads, as well as what they term “guest” instructors. They and their high-powered lawyers are counting on the fact that excluding certain members of the faculty will weaken the union and create fissures between faculty members. We will not let that happen! Both sides must agree on who will be in the bargaining unit before a vote is held. If we cannot come to an agreement soon, the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) will schedule a hearing to force an agreement. We feel very confident that should this happen, we will prevail, especially given what has transpired to many of us over the past week or so.

As to what has happened over the past week, we have entered a new and terrifying world of control and manipulation by the administration. Having earlier in the summer explained that contracts would be frozen pending the outcome of the union vote (which incidentally is not a thing—there is nothing at all precluding them from issuing contracts in the midst of a union push), they are now unilaterally changing the terms of those very contracts with devastating results. A partial list:

- Reduced hours and pay: A prominent viola faculty member has been reduced to part-time. Keep in mind at Juilliard, 10 hours is the threshold for full-time benefits for studio faculty. His load is 15. The justification for this was reduced enrollment in their studio. However, note that the main reason given for declining an offer of admission was uncompetitive financial aid, something faculty members have no control over.

- Devastating loss of faculty: Treasured members of the violin faculty and cello faculty will be leaving in December as a direct result of management actions. We’ve also lost members of the viola, trumpet, clarinet, flute, and theory departments, as well as a beloved and respected dean. Any other school would be doing everything possible to keep them, as their contributions to the musical world are unparalleled.

- Sharp reductions in pay: There has been a drastic hourly chamber music coaching reduction for JMP.

- Load sheets as a way around contracts: Instead of new contracts negotiated by both parties or even a continuation of last year’s contracts, the administration is issuing load sheets. This is a power play designed to put all power of employment in the hands of the administration. It allows them to manipulate the terms of or even terminate our employment while avoiding the appearance of retaliation for union activities. Under these load sheets, no one has a legally binding contract with CIM.

- Suspension of retirement fund contributions for full-time employees: This is in direct conflict with the statement from HR on June 6 that “after July 1, 2024, you will be receiving the same wages and benefits as you currently receive.”

- Inability to raise money: In an economy where the stock market and philanthropic giving have hit record highs, the leadership of CIM has been unwilling or unable to raise the funds to keep CIM competitive. Instead, CIM has decided to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable: the non-unionized faculty.

And remember, we have no idea what the depth of the financial crisis is. While our salaries and benefits are being hollowed out, they are spending millions of dollars on the Kulas construction project, thousands of dollars on lawyers both to fight the Kalmar lawsuit and the union effort, and wasting hundreds of thousands on bloated administration salaries.

Here’s where the union helps us. With a CBA (collective bargaining agreement), we will be able to negotiate longer contracts. It is insane that people who have worked for 30 years at CIM have no more job protection than a first-year hire. We will have a grievance process—if administrators abrogate the terms of the contract, they can be subject to federal arbitration. This includes employment termination—no one can be fired based on the whims of the administration. We will be able to advocate for ourselves and our students without fear of retaliation. We will gain the legal right to review their financial documents to ascertain what is true about their budget claims. We will negotiate better teaching loads for classroom faculty and better salaries that are in line with peer institutions.

The administration will no doubt argue that these changes will make the cost of doing business too high. We argue that the cost of NOT unionizing is far greater. We argue that an administration that has hoarded wealth to the detriment of its students and faculty is in no position to offer an honest assessment of the cost of doing business. If an administration can be handed some of the most talented faculty and students in the world and still fail them so badly, the problem is the administration.  

If we are to maintain competitiveness and regain our status as one of the premier conservatories in the world, we must not be afraid to advocate for what we think is right. We must make CIM a place where musicians have a voice, a place where we feel inspired to work, a place where our students and our relationship with them comes first.

Right now, the union vote is scheduled for September 25-26 at The Coffee Shop, so be sure to keep a few minutes those days free!

Thank you all and stay strong!  

Your Union Organizing Committee.