Full-time Tufts professors launch two-day strike today

Full-time faculty at Tufts University’s College of Arts and Sciences will begin a two-day strike Monday, beginning with a 10 a.m. rally on campus to demand better pay and reduced workloads. according to a union that represents employees.

In a statement, SEIU Local 509 said 94 percent of its 121 members at Tufts voted to authorize the work stoppage, citing “low wages and unsustainable workloads as key factors in their decision to take action.”

Patrick Collins, a university spokesman, said full-time faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences will not be teaching classes, labs or lectures during the strike.

“The action does not apply to classes, lectures or laboratories taught by tenured or tenured professors, part-time professors, professors of practice or graduate teaching assistants, and they are expected to continue as usual,” Collins said. “If any classes taught by full-time faculty are canceled due to the strike, the University expects full-time faculty to take steps to ensure the academic integrity of the classes, similar to when faculty miss classes due to illness or other conflicts.”

According to the union, the university is currently offering full-time faculty members, whose duties include teaching, tutoring students and other duties, a 2.5 percent pay increase.

That offer “has remained stagnant without a cost-of-living adjustment, threatening to make full-time Tufts faculty the lowest-paid faculty among Tufts’ peer institutions,” the union said.

There have been “10 months of stalled contract negotiations,” the union said.

Tufts officials said Monday that professors received a 2.5 percent pay raise in September and that the union is requesting an additional 1 percent for members.

“The university and SEIU are engaging in good faith collective bargaining to achieve a third contract for the bargaining unit,” Collins said. “Currently, both sides disagree on remuneration and workload. The university has a compensation and merit enhancement philosophy that applies to all faculty and staff. This philosophy generally includes an interest in compensating faculty and staff with attention to the relevant external market and internal equity, among other factors. The university seeks to adhere to its principles fairly with all its employees. “We look forward to continuing to work with SEIU to reach an agreement.”

Full professors are different from tenured or tenured professors. Professors generally teach undergraduates and are appointed for fixed terms that can be renewed, while full professors have lifetime appointments.

The average salary for a full-time teacher is at or close to 80 percent of the area median income, depending on household size, according to the union.

Penn Loh, a full professor in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, said in the statement that the high cost of living requires many colleagues to live at least an hour from campus.

“We need a minimum increase of 3.5% annually, along with an initial cost-of-living adjustment, to ensure we can focus on supporting our students rather than worrying about our bills,” Loh said. “We also need a reduction in our unmanageable workload that will allow us to continue providing the high-quality education that Tufts promises.”

Monday’s rally will include full-time faculty, students and community supporters demanding “that Tufts prioritize fair compensation for its educators,” the union said.

The union said the strike is expected to last until Tuesday if an agreement is not reached.

“Tufts prides itself on academic excellence, but that excellence is made possible by the hard work and dedication of educators who deserve fair compensation,” full-time biology professor Katie Mattaini said in the statement. “We are passionate about teaching and supporting our students, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so when we are struggling to make ends meet.”

This breaking news will be updated when more information is released.

Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected].