A Final Message
Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the union vote, we want to take this opportunity to remind you what this vote is truly about. This decision transcends any one person, leader, or moment in time. It is about securing a professional and stable future for all of us as faculty members. No matter who leads the institution in the years to come, a union will provide us with the protections and support we need to thrive in our careers.
Our work as educators and musicians is the cornerstone of CIM. We have trained generations of musicians and contributed immeasurably to the global arts community. Yet, despite our expertise and dedication, we have been subjected to unstable working conditions, salary disparities, job insecurity, and leadership decisions that have often placed our careers and well-being at risk.
The truth is that even if the current management team were to leave, we would be left in no better position to advocate for our needs. Given the board’s seeming preference for “professional management” types, the days of having a leader who understands us as musicians and academics are behind us. And that’s okay. Professional managers can be very capable and fair, but they need our help. As it stands now, the Faculty Senate is the sole voice of the collective. And as we have seen, it is a toothless body—it can be ignored, dismissed, its members threatened, and its ideas rendered impotent. We need an enforceable mechanism for our voices to be heard. That’s the power of the union: the members of that body must be reckoned with. If nothing else, we—the heart of this institution—deserve that.
Without a union, we face arbitrary decisions about pay, hours, and job stability. Many of us have witnessed colleagues lose hours or even their positions due to enrollment fluctuations—an issue beyond our control, but one that directly impacts our livelihoods. Others have seen their pay stagnate despite soaring administrative compensation. Others have seen their jobs, livelihoods, and students’ futures threatened for daring to speak out against blatant professional and ethical violations. We have been expected to do more with less, all while administrative leaders continue to make decisions that weaken our institution financially and ethically.
This vote is about changing that dynamic. A union will establish a collective bargaining agreement that ensures fairness, transparency, and security. It will protect us from unilateral decisions that erode our working conditions. It will give us the power to negotiate better salaries, reasonable workloads, and long-term job stability. Through this process, we will ensure that CIM continues to be a world-class institution not just for the students but for the faculty who make it great.
Not everything we argue for or need will come to pass. Management will have its own agenda to contend with—that’s what negotiations are about. But what we gain with a union is clear: a procedure for negotiating and a legally binding right to fight for our vision, free of intimidation and harassment.
This is not a vote against administration—it is a vote for ourselves, for our dignity, and for the future of our profession. Let us vote to build a future where we are not just employees at the mercy of changing leadership, but professionals with a collective voice. This vote is not just for today—it’s for the legacy we leave for the faculty, students, and CIM of tomorrow.
In solidarity,
Your Union Organizing Committee