Full-Time Unit Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Contract Negotiations

As a Franciscan and Catholic institution, Siena University recognizes the dignity of work, respects the right of employees to organize, and values the contributions of our faculty as teachers, mentors, and partners in fulfilling our mission. The University believes our community deserves accurate, timely information about matters that affect its members. This page serves as a central resource for updates on collective bargaining between the University and SEIU Local200United, the union representing our full-time unit faculty and adjunct faculty. Here, faculty and community members can review University communications, summaries of bargaining sessions, the University's formal proposals, and a timeline documenting the negotiation process.

The University remains committed to negotiating in good faith and reaching agreements that support our faculty, serve our students, and advance Siena's mission and long-term well-being. At the same time, these negotiations involve significant differences over proposals that extend well beyond compensation and routine contract renewals. For example, the union proposes: 

• Removal of hiring precedence for Franciscan Friars, departing from our longstanding Sponsorship Agreement between Siena and Our Lady of Guadalupe Province.
• Automatic three-year appointments for full-time unionized faculty who have completed two years of service, non-renewal solely upon a showing of “Just Cause” (which is not defined in the Union’s proposal).
  • This provision effectively establishes a tenure-equivalent status without the corresponding scholarly, service, or Tenure and Promotion requirements.
• Mandatory renewal of Core Adjunct Status absent a finding of Just Cause.
• Reduction of student advising capacity from 20 to 15 students per unionized faculty member.
  • This adjustment would reallocate and increase advising responsibilities for Tenure-Track and Tenured faculty.
• Prohibition on converting Visiting Faculty positions into tenure-track lines upon conclusion of the term, mandating conversion to teaching faculty positions instead.
  • Incumbent visiting faculty maintain the right of first refusal unless Just Cause is demonstrated. 
• Incorporation of employee benefit terms directly into the contract rather than aligning them with the Faculty Handbook.
  • This enables independent negotiation of benefits for bargaining unit members, potentially creating disparities between unionized faculty and non-bargaining faculty.

The University believes these proposals raise important questions about institutional mission and our ability to respond responsibly to the evolving needs of our students. While the University recognizes that collective bargaining involves differing perspectives and priorities, it also believes agreements must balance faculty interests with the University's responsibility to steward its resources and preserve the flexibility necessary to fulfill its academic mission.

The University is committed to transparency, respectful dialogue, and a constructive bargaining process. The University invites our community to use this resource to follow the negotiations, review the proposals, and understand the issues shaping these important discussions.