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. We believe 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 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 has proposed the removal of hiring precedence for Franciscan Friars, which departs from a long-established institutional tradition and Siena’s Sponsorship Agreement with Our Lady of Guadalupe Province. Among the other issues proposed by the union: changes to appointment and renewal provisions that would substantially alter the existing framework for teaching and adjunct faculty, restrictions on how the University responds with flexibility to curricular needs, increased student advising obligations for other faculty, and changes to how employee benefits are established and maintained.

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 we recognize that collective bargaining involves differing perspectives and priorities, we also believe agreements must balance faculty interests with the University's responsibility to steward its resources and preserve the flexibility necessary to fulfill its academic mission.

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