We encourage institutions, unions, law firms, and individuals to donate to help support the National Center’s research and programming.

September 2025 Newsletter

The National Center’s September 2025 newsletter reports on our new Contract Research Site, a contribution-based platform. The Contract Research Site will allow users to research the terms of hundreds of collective bargaining agreements in higher education. It also includes filters to permit research by institution, institution type, unit type, bargaining agent, sector, and state.

This month’s newsletter also includes an update on our March 22-24, 2026 annual conference in New York City with information about how to become a conference sponsor or advertiser. 

We report on newly recognized or certified faculty bargaining representatives at Michigan State University and Western New Mexico University along with the decision by Loyola Marymount University to derecognize its certified non-tenure track faculty union. 

We also report on: a decision by a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board Hearing Officer concerning a UAW petition to represent graduate student employees at Pennsylvania State University; the first contract reached between Beloit College and its undergraduate student union; and a decision by the Oregon Employment Relations Board decision finding that the University of Oregon engaged in unfair labor practices against its student employee union.

Lastly, the newsletter includes information about two new books of interest to our labor-management community, links to videos from our 2025 annual conference, links to articles from the recent volume of the Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, and job postings for a State University of New York Assistant Counsel position, the Professional Staff Congress, AFT Local 2334 Executive Director position, and a University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations Assistant Professor in Labor Economics position.

New National Center Contract Research Site

with 2026 Conference Sponsorship Options

The National Center is pleased to announce our new Contract Research Site, an annual contribution-based platform.

This unique Site will be a valuable tool for negotiators, union representatives, administrators, law firms, and others involved in or studying higher education collective bargaining.

It includes a search engine to research the terms of hundreds of collective bargaining agreements in higher education. It will also provide filters to permit research by institution, institution type, unit type, bargaining agent, sector, and state.

Access to the Site will require a registration and an annual contribution to the National Center in the amounts set forth below. The contribution will permit a set number of identified individual users to use the Site. A contributor will also be entitled to be listed as a sponsor of our annual conference.

The Site becomes live this week on October 1, 2025 for those entities that have registered and made the contribution. Keep a step ahead in negotiations and in your research by registering for the Contract Research Site today.

Click here to register and contribute for user access to the Contract Research Site.

Below are images from the Contract Research Site:

Below is a list of annual contribution amounts, the number of identified users entitled to access the Site, and the conference status of the contributor.

Annual contributions received by the National Center will help finance the regular updating of the Site with new first and successor contracts as well as contracts for non-academic employees working in higher education

Limited access to the Site by part-time non-track faculty, postdoctoral scholars and doctoral candidates, graduate and undergraduate student researchers without departmental, institutional, or grant research funding will be determined on an individual need basis. Requests for access by those individuals should be sent to msavares@hunter.cuny.edu.

Mark Your Calendar: 2026 National Center Annual Conference

Our 53rd annual conference will take place on March 22-24, 2026 in New York City. The theme of the conference will be Uniting for Workplace and Political Democracy.

The conference will include a keynote address and two plenary sessions relevant to the related crises facing higher education and our political democracy.

The following is a partial list of panel and workshop subjects to be examined at the 2026 conference: negotiating academic freedom contract provisions; library worker unionization; gender, parenthood, and benefits in higher education; postdocs, sexual harassment, and collective bargaining; union leaders of color transforming higher education; inequities for contingent faculty at community colleges; community college viewpoints on AI; worker voice and institutional perspectives relating to AI; the impact of turnover on graduate student employee collective bargaining; issues facing black collegiate athletes; best practices in establishing and opposing past practices in labor arbitration; our annual legal update panel; and much much more.

Confirmed panels, speakers, and registration information will be announced in future newsletters and blasts.

Become a 53rd Annual Conference Sponsor or Program Advertiser

2026 Conference Sponsorships

To help support the National Center and its 52nd annual national conference, we encourage higher education institutions, unions, law firms, organizations, and companies to become a conference sponsor. 

Through a conference sponsorship, you will demonstrate support for the National Center’s mission, programming, and research agenda.

Major Supporting Partner: $15,000

Benefits:

• Complimentary registration for 3 attendees and a 50% reduction for a fourth;
• Your organization’s logo and link to your site on the National Center website;
• Opportunity to make introductory remarks at the plenary or mid-day greetings;
• Your organization’s name referenced in our monthly newsletter;
• Inclusion of a one-page display ad in the conference program;
• Listing as a major supporting sponsor of the annual conference, webinars, and conference receptions.

Supporting Partner: $10,000

Benefits:

• Complimentary registration for 2 attendees and a 50% reduction for a third;
• Your organization’s logo and link to your site on the National Center website;
• Your organization's name referenced in our monthly newsletter;
• Inclusion of a one-page display ad in the conference program;
• Listing as a supporting sponsor of the annual conference, webinars, and conference receptions.

Participating Sponsor: $5,000

Benefits:

• Complimentary registration for one conference attendee;
• Your organization’s logo and link to your site on the National Center website;
• Your organization's name referenced in our monthly newsletter;
• Inclusion of a half-page display ad in the conference program;
• Listing as a participating sponsor of the annual conference, webinars, and conference breaks.

Basic Sponsor: $2,500

Benefits:

• Complimentary registration for one conference attendee;
• Listing as a sponsor on the National Center website;
• Your organization’s name referenced in our monthly newsletter;
• Inclusion of a one-quarter display ad in the conference program;
• Listing as a basic sponsor of the annual conference, webinars, and conference breaks.

Introductory Sponsor: $1,500

Benefits:

• Complimentary registration for one conference attendee;
• Listing as a sponsor on the National Center website;
• Your organization’s name referenced in our monthly newsletter;
• Inclusion of a one-quarter display ad in the conference program;
• Listing as an introductory sponsor of the annual conference, webinars, and conference breaks.

Friend of the National Center: $500

Benefits:

• Complimentary registration for one conference attendee;
• Listing of your name as a friend of the National Center on our website, newsletter, and in the conference program.

2026 Conference Program Advertisements

Another important way to celebrate the National Center’s 53rd conference and demonstrate support for our mission and research is for your institution, union, law firm, organization or company to place an advertisement in our 2026 conference program similar to this year's conference program.

Full-page advertisement:      $ 1,500

Half-page advertisement:      $   750

Quarter-page advertisement: $  275

Please email us with any questions about sponsorships and advertisement purchases at: msavares@hunter.cuny.edu.

National Center Research: Project Update and Request

The National Center is conducting research to publish a report on academic freedom clauses in the collective bargaining agreements that were gathered in our 2024 Directory.

To assist with the Center's research, we are requesting unions and administrators to submit arbitration awards in regard to academic freedom to the following Dropbox folder: Academic Freedom Arbitration Awards.

Michigan State University: NEA Recognized to Represent a TTT Unit

On September 8, 2025, Michigan State University recognized the Union of Tenure System Faculty, MEA, NEA to represent a unit of 1,757 tenured and tenure track faculty and librarians. The recognition followed a card check conducted by arbitrator Mark Glazer, which demonstrated that the union had presented authorization cards establishing majority status. The process that led to the union's recognition was based on Michigan State University’s neutrality policy, adopted by its Board of Trustees on December 17, 2021.

The following is the description of the new faculty bargaining unit at Michigan State University:

Included: All tenure system faculty members and librarians.

The terms “tenure system faculty member” and tenure system faculty members” shall include all persons appointed under the rules of tenure and holding the rank of professor, associate professors, or assistant professor, who are employed by Michigan State University. The terms “librarian” and “librarians” shall include all persons serving in the continuing appointment system as librarian I, II, and III, who are employed by Michigan State University.

Excluded: All executives, managers, and supervisors, including but not limited to president, vice president; associate vice president; all ranks of provost (including vice provost, associate provost, and assistant provost); all ranks of dean (including associate dean and assistant dean); department chairperson; school director and co-director; institute/center director-management; librarian supervisors; faculty grievance officials; confidential employees; faculty who formerly held tenured positions at MSU; visiting faculty; faculty emerti; all employees who are included in any other existing University collective bargaining unit; all employees appointed in the FRIB-NSCL CA system; all academic specialists in the continuing system; and all other employees of the University.

The University shall have the management right to maintain and create director-management positions, which would be excluded from the bargaining unit provided that they possess supervisory or executive job duties as defined by MERC.

Western New Mexico University: NEA Certified to Represent Faculty Unit

Western New Mexico University, PELRB No. 311-25

On September 5, 2025, the New Mexico Public Employee Labor Relations Board certified Western New Mexico University Faculty-NEA, following a card check, to be the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit of 107 faculty at Western New Mexico University

The following is a description of the new NEA-represented faculty unit at Western New Mexico University:

Included: All full-time employees of Western New Mexico University holding the contractual faculty rank of lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor, who teach six or more semester hours per semester, including library faculty. The unit includes faculty on limited terms and remote appointment

Loyola Marymount Univ. Discontinues Bargaining with NTT Faculty Union

Loyola Marymount University, NLRB Case Nos. 31-RC-341771, 31-RC-340487, and 31-RC-340545

In 2024, SEIU filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking to represent units of non-tenure track faculty at Loyola Marymount University. During the processing of the representation petitions the university did not argue that the NLRB should decline jurisdiction over the petitions on the grounds that it is a religiously affiliated institution. The petitions led to the certification of SEIU after the NLRB conducted representation elections in which the faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of SEIU representation. 

According to a media report, the university recently abruptly ended negotiations with SEIU arguing that it is subject to a religious exemption to the obligations under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). SEIU has filed unfair labor practice charges challenging the university;s unilateral decision to end negotiations.

The university’s argument is premised on NLRB precedent, including last year’s Saint Leo University decision which concluded that a university can derecognize a certified or recognized union if it demonstrates that it is religious educational institution based on the standards outlined in the 2020 Bethany College decision. Other institutions have withdrawn recognition in the recent past based on the same ground including Edward Waters University in Florida and Wilberforce University in Ohio.

Under the Bethany College standards, the NLRB will decline jurisdiction when a higher education institution demonstrates that it holds itself out as providing a religious educational environment, is a nonprofit entity, and is affiliated with a recognized religious organization. Under that standard, the NLRB will not consider whether the at-issue faculty members perform religious duties or teach religion. See, Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit v. NLRB, 947 F.3d 824 (D.C. Cir. 2020); University of Great Falls v. NLRB, 278 F.3d 1335 (D.C. Cir. 2002),

Pennsylvania State University: GSE Unit to Include Research Assistants

Pennsylvania State University, PLRB Case No. PERA-R-24-276-E

On August 18, 2025, Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board Hearing Examiner Stephen A. Helmerich issued a decision and order directing submission of an eligibility list concerning a representation petition filed on December 4, 2024 by the Coalition of Graduate Employees-UAW (CGE-UAW) seeking to represent a proposed unit of 2,785 graduate student employees at Pennsylvania State University.

In the decision, Hearing Officer Helmerich rejected the university’s argument that research assistants are not public employees under Pennsylvania’s public sector collective bargaining law. However, he agreed with the university that 80 graduate students on traineeship and 411 graduate students on felllowship should be excluded from the proposed unit. 

The following is a description of the bargaining unit found to be appropriate at Pennsylvania State University:

Included: All full-time & regular part-time employes of the University who are graduate students on graduate assistantship and who perform services as teaching assistants, research assistants, or administrative support assistants.

Excluded: Graduate students on fellowship, traineeship, management level employes, supervisors, first level supervisors, confidential employes and guards as defined in the Act.                                                                                                           

Univ. of Oregon: Undergraduate Student Employee Union ULP Sustained

University of Oregon, OERB UP-029-23

On September 10, 2025, the Oregon Employment Relations Board (OERB) issued a decision and order, which determined an unfair labor practice complaint filed by the University of Oregon Student Workers against the University of Oregon.

OERB concluded that the university had violated Oregon's public sector collective bargaining law when it:

• told student employees that they were prohibited from engaging in organizing activities while on work time, while permitting those employees to engage in other personal activities during work;

• prohibited a student from giving a union-related presentation during a university class;

• prohibited union card signing in residence halls;

• directed student employees to remove union pins; and

• implied that a resident assistant stipend might be delayed or denied based on the outcome of the organizing campaign.

 Beloit College: First Contract with Undergraduate Worker Union

Beloit College, a private liberal arts college in Wisconsin, and Beloit Student Workers United, an independent undergraduate student worker union, have reached a first contract for a two year period commencing August 8, 2025.

The union represents non-exempt, hourly undergraduate student employees, resident assistants, and orientation leaders. The contract was negotiated after Beloit College voluntary recognized the union pursuant to the terms of a negotiated card check/neutrality agreement.

The collective bargaining agreement at Beloit College constitutes a continuation in the rapid growth of undergraduate student employee unionization over the past few years. The growth has been documented in the National Center's 2024 Directory and a research note published earlier this year in the Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy.

The recent rapid growth should not obscure the long history of undergraduate student unionization, which is over a century old.

 Labor History: 1914 Undergraduate Student Worker Union in Wisconisn

National Center Newsletter Sponsor

Upcoming Book by National Center

Affiliated Researcher Rhiannon M. Maton

The Handbook on Teachers' Work: International Perspectives on Research and Practice is an upcoming volume edited by National Center Affiliated Researcher Rhiannon M. Maton and Nina Bascia. It brings together research and evidence-based authoritative writings from across the globe that theorizes and studies teachers’ work.

Drawing on research from twelve countries across 6 continents, the chapters are grouped into themes that represent key issues related to work from global perspectives, including:

The Political and Policy Contexts of Teachers' Work

Teaching as an Occupation

Diverse Teacher Identities and Roles

Teaching as Collective and Relational Work; and

Teaching and Activism

The volume explores the idea of teaching as an occupation with a history and trajectory that are shaped by political economies; historical progressions; organizational structures; social relations among educators, students, and others; teachers’ career and labor patterns; their professional norms; and raced, gendered, classed, and culturally linked expectations of teachers and about public schooling.

Pre-order copies are available here:

New Book on Unionization of Library Workers

Video Recordings from the 2025 Annual National Conference

The theme of our 2025 annual national conference was Unity in Defense of Higher Education and Collective Bargaining. The full conference program can be downloaded here.

Below are links to recordings of the welcoming remarks and select presentations from the conference. We thank the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute staff and Hunter College student videographers for their assistance.

Welcoming Remarks with William A. Herbert, Executive Director, National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, Hunter College, CUNY, Manoj Pardasani, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Hunter College, CUNY, Malini Cadambi-Daniel, Executive Director, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, AFT Local 2334, Ahsan Ali, Senior Director of Labor Relations, Tufts University, and Jessica Baker, Hunter College student and National Center Intern.

Keynote Presentation: Unity in Defense of Higher Education and Collective Bargaining with Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, Lynn Pasquerella, President, American Association of Colleges and Universities, and Adrienne Lu, Senior Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Moderator.

Research Panel: Presentation on the 2024 Directory of Faculty Contracts and Bargaining Agents in Higher Education with Jacob Apkarian, Associate Professor, Sociology, York College, CUNY, Joseph van der Naald, PhD Candidate in Sociology, Graduate Center, CUNY, Susan Kelly, President, Microsearch Corporation, Mary Taber, Director of Research, UUP, Commentator, Dana Fleming, Associate General Counsel, Tufts University, Commentator, and Malini Cadambi-Daniel, Executive Director, Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, AFT Local 2334, Moderator.

Panel: Current Immigration Issues in Higher Education with Miriam Feldblum, co-founder and Executive Director, Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Cianna Freeman-Tolbert, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, and Channing Cooper, Deputy Director, AFT Legal Department, Panelist and Moderator.

Research Panel: Work Stoppage Across the Educational Continuum: K-12 to Higher Education with Jacob Apkarian, Associate Professor, Sociology, York College, CUNY and National Center Affiliated Researcher, Melissa Arnold Lyon, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, SUNY, Daniel Iskhakov, National Center Graduate Research Fellow, and Rhiannon M. Maton, Associate Professor, Foundations and Social Advocacy, SUNY Cortland and National Center Visiting Scholar, Panelist and Moderator.

Panel: Artificial Intelligence: Changing the Bargaining Landscape with Jeffrey M. Hirsch, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Geneva Yeargan Rand Distinguished Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law, Alec Thomson, President, National Council for Higher Education, NEA, Nicholas L. Collins, ArentFox Schiff LLP, and

Arthur Pearlstein, Arbitrator and Mediator, Moderator.

Book Discussion: Organizing Professionals: Academic Employees Negotiating a New Academy with author Gary Rhoades, Professor and Director, Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Arizona, Richard Gomes, Staff Representative, AFT New Jersey, Jennie Shanker, Staff Representative, AFT New Jersey, Laura Murphy, Dutchess Community College, Dan Echikson, Organizer, ACT-UAW Local 7902, and Ryan Quinn, Reporter, Inside Higher Ed, Moderator.

Panel: Administrator Responses to Campus Protest: Lessons from History with Ellen Schrecker, Professor of History (retired), Yeshiva University, member Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, AAUP, Paul Ortiz, Professor of Labor History, Cornell ILR, Jelani Favors, Author of Shelter in a Time of Storm: How Black Colleges Fostered Generations of Leadership and Activism, Henry E. Frye Distinguished Professor, Department of History and Political Science and Director, Center of Excellence for Social Justice, North Carolina A&T State University, and Dale Kapla, Senior Associate Provost, Northern Michigan University, Moderator.

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Volume 16

Last month, Volume 16 of the National Center's Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy was published. The Journal is an open-access, peer-reviewed, online periodical advancing research and scholarly thought related to collective bargaining and other issues in higher education, and making relevant and pragmatic peer-reviewed research readily accessible.

From the Editors

JCBA's Origins, Evolution, & Future by Gary Rhoades and Karen Stubaus

Articles

Who Benefits from a Faculty Union During a Pandemic? by Mary Ellen Benedict, David McClough, and John Hoag

Faculty Views About Their COVID-19 Layoffs from a Public University in the US Midwest by Susan E. Ramlo

A Beautiful Mind Meets Harsh Reality: Practical Tips for Negotiators When Bargaining Strays from Ideal Conditions by Christopher C. Douglas, Ellen Grachek, Allyson Strickland, and Marie Waung

How Do Collective Agreements Stack Up? Implications For Academic Freedom by Tim Ribaric and Rahul Kumar

The Limits of Law: Lessons for Collective Bargaining by Eric J. Scarffe and Daniel Saunders

Practitioner Perspectives

"No Pay, No RAs": Resident Assistant Unionization Amidst University Backlash by Justin Weller

Navigating Harassment and Discrimination at University of California through UAW 4811's Abusive Conduct Contract Provisions by Sarah Arveson and Emily Weintraut

Graduate Student Labor Unions: Two Experienced Academic Administrators Share Their Views by Karen R. Stubaus

Research Notes

Every Grain of Sand: 2024 Changes to the Scope of Higher Education Unionization by William A. Herbert, Joseph van der Naald, and Jacob Apkarian

Book Review

Towards a Progressive Academy: Review of Organizing Professionals: Academic Employees Negotiating a New Academy by Rebecca Kolins Givan

The Journal co-editors are Gary Rhoades, University of Arizona, Karen Stubaus, National Center Visiting Scholar and former Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rutgers University, and Jacob Apkarian, York College, City University of New York. The Journal is supported in part by a generous contribution from TIAA and is hosted by the institutional repository of Eastern Illinois University, The Keep, a service of EIU's Booth Library.

The Journal is now accepting submissions for Volume 17 to be published in March 2026. Our authors customarily include college and university faculty and administrators, scholars, graduate students, union activists and leaders, and others interested in collective bargaining in higher education. Please see the Aims & Scope page for more information or contact the co-editors with any questions on possible submissions.

Job Posting: SUNY Assistant Counsel, Employee Relations

Assistant Counsel, Employee Relations

Apply Now

About The State University of New York:

The State University of New York, or SUNY, is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States, with 64 colleges and universities spanning the state from Long Island to the Adirondacks to Buffalo. SUNY System Administration employees, based in Albany and New York City, provide critical support for SUNY campuses, employees, and students to advance SUNY's mission of providing high-quality, affordable higher education for all.

Across a wide range of roles, from finance and legal counsel to student support, academic affairs, IT, admissions, and more, our employees work toward advancing the four priority pillars established by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the SUNY Board of Trustees: student success; research and scholarship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and economic development and upward mobility. SUNY System Administration is a mission-driven workplace with robust New York State benefits including health insurance, retirement, time off, and paid family leave.

Job Description:

As part of Counsel's Office, the System Office of Employee Relations represents the University in its relations with unionized employees. We serve 29 campuses and System Administration in the development and implementation of employee relations policy and practice. This position represents the University in statewide negotiations, coordinates campus involvement in the bargaining process and communicates regularly with campuses regarding their rights and responsibilities under collective bargaining agreements, and related statutes, rules, regulations and case law. The incumbent serves as the Chancellor's representative in hearing appeals of disciplinary and contract grievances pursuant to the collective bargaining agreements, and coordinates the defense of improper practice charges before the Public Employment Relations Board. The incumbent also represents the State-operated campuses in the expedited disciplinary arbitration process for all CSEA represented employees.

SPECIFIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the general direction of the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Employee Relations, the Assistant Director of Employee Relations performs the following:

• Supervises the administration of six collective bargaining agreements (with CSEA, PBANYS, NYSCOPBA, PEF), and the application of the Civil Service Law Rules, Regulations and Procedures relating to terms and conditions of employment of employees in the classified service.
• Represents SUNY by serving on statewide negotiating teams and assists in formulation of employee relations policy for classified service employees.
• Serves as the University's representative in the administration of the grievance procedures (contract, non-contract and disciplinary) affecting classified service employees. 
• Serves as a hearing officer in such proceedings, mediates disputes, develops and executes dispute settlement agreements and renders decisions which are binding upon campus managers.
• Serves as the University's representative in the expedited disciplinary arbitration process for all CSEA represented employees.
• Advises campus officers on union contract interpretation, dispute resolution, disciplinary matters and other campus employee relations matters as required. This includes guiding campus designees in the preparation of grievance decisions.
• Serves as liaison to advocate campus and SUNY positions to various external constituencies including unions, Department of Civil Service, Governor's Office of Employee Relations, etc.
• Assists counsel from the Governor's Office of Employee Relations, SUNY Counsel's Office and Attorney General's Office in the preparation of contract and disciplinary arbitrations, improper practice charges before the Public Employment Relations Board, Civil Service Department hearings and other litigation.
• Serves as the University representative to statewide committees such as the CSEA and PEF Statewide Labor/Management Committees, the Statewide Clerical Advancement Committee, NYS/CSEA Partnership for Education and Training, the PEF Nursing Issues Committee and other joint labor-management ventures.
• Advises campus level labor relations designees.
• Provides assistance and training to campus officers as they develop and implement policies and programs such as attendance control, employee assistance, safety, clerical advancement, performance evaluations, counseling and discipline, etc.
• Coordinates lay-off activities of campuses for classified service employees.
• Assists the Assistant and Associate Vice Chancellors of Employee Relations on special tasks and projects as required.

Requirements:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Admittance to the NYS Bar
• Minimum of 2-3 years' experience practicing public sector labor law in New York State

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working in a unionized environment

Additional Information:

• Salary is dependent on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, experience, education, training, and certifications. The range for this position is $90,000-$110,000.
• Excellent Benefit Package which includes: NYS health insurance, free dental and vision coverage, competitive retirement options, tuition assistance, parental leave at full pay, and generous vacation, sick, and holiday time. 13 days of paid holidays per year; 21 days of vacation and 21 days of sick time accrued each year. Please see our Management/Confidential benefits summary for additional information.
• This position will be based in Albany.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• This is an FLSA exempt position. Frequent travel to the 29 state operated SUNY campuses is required.

SUNY System Administration Benefits

SUNY System Administration provides an outstanding and comprehensive benefits package to support you and your family through the many life changes you may experience while you work for SUNY. Our nationally recognized benefits include:

Retirement: The choice between a fully funded pension plan and a self-driven defined contribution plan, along with two supplemental plans to increase your ability to save for retirement.

Health Insurance: Several health insurance options at an affordable cost that provide full coverage without mandatory deductibles.

Time Off: Paid time off with separate vacation and sick leave accruals up to 21 days a year for each category.

Additional paid leave policy options for childbirth, adoption, elder care, and other family care situations.

Flexible Working Arrangements: Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid schedules, are available depending on position.

Explore our full benefits offerings here: www.suny.edu/benefits

Application Instructions:

Interested candidates are invited to apply online. Please submit a cover letter, resume and four professional references when applying. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

State University of New York System Administration is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction, or retaliation.

Job Posting: Professional Staff Congress Executive Director

 Professional Staff Congress,

AFT Local 2334

Executive Director

Based in New York City

The Professional Staff Congress/CUNY, AFT Local 2334 is seeking applications from qualified union executive managers for the position of Executive Director.

The Professional Staff Congress, AFT Local 2334, is a progressive, member-driven activist union representing 30,000 faculty and staff at the City University of New York. Providing a collaborative, supportive environment to foster progressive change in the context of the nation’s largest urban public university, the PSC opposes the austerity funding model for CUNY as a university that serves primarily low-income communities and communities of color. 

The PSC is seeking a passionate, determined, ethical, experienced, and progressive Executive Director who is eager to work collaboratively with elected union leadership and lead a committed staff as they serve union members and campaign for the needs of members, and CUNY students. The Executive Director works closely with PSC officers to carry out the union’s programs and decisions and runs the day-to-day operations of the union. 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES (not a complete list of duties)

• Work closely with principal officers on a daily basis and provide advice and guidance to PSC leadership at all levels.
• Manage the operation of the PSC office and activities.
• Carryout the decisions and plans of PSC leadership.
• Manage all aspects of supervising PSC staff - hiring, training, delegation; accountability and mentoring; and bargain staff union contracts.
• Coordinate PSC contract, issue-based, political, and legislative campaigns.
• Participate in contract negotiations and ensure timely and correct implementation of PSC collective bargaining agreements.
• Oversee PSC research, communications, and collective bargaining.
• Work with the Treasurer and Director of finance to prepare and oversee budgets and maintain responsibility for the daily fiscal affairs of the PSC.
• Manage contracts with landlord and service providers.
• Represent the PSC in meetings with CUNY and Research Foundation management and other organizations as directed by PSC leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated ability to successfully perform the duties described above.
• Significant number of years (10 –15) in progressively responsible leadership roles in a labor union or related organization- including at least 5 years running an organization or a sizable department.
• Proven track record of balancing and administering a budget.
• Demonstrated success in mentoring and training department directors and senior staff.
• At least 5 years’ experience negotiating and/or administering labor contracts.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with elected union leaders.
• Experience in public sector unions highly desirable.
• Experience in labor and/or higher education policy and budget analysis. 
• Excellent project management, strategy development and campaign planning skills

EDUCATION & OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Baccalaureate required; advanced degree in appropriate field a plus.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

For this role, PSC/CUNY offers a competitive salary package with the hiring range of $170,000 – $210,000 depending on experience, excellent benefits, including family medical and dental coverage, generous paid time off and a pension.

This is a nationwide search, but we value candidates with experience in public sector labor in the New York metropolitan area. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to the organization, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.

The PSC is committed to creating a diverse environment and strives to achieve equity for all as we work towards economic, racial, and social justice. We particularly encourage women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ and working-class folks to apply. 

HOW TO APPLY

Job is open until filled. Apply as soon as possible to be considered in the first review. Applications must be in no later than October 31, 2025.

Email your résumé and cover letter explaining your interest in working with PSC and how your experience and qualifications have prepared you for the Executive Director role to: 

Kim Cook Union Search Associate kim.cook1956@gmail.com

Job Posting: University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations Assistant Professor in Labor Economics

Assistant Professor in Labor Economics, School of Labor and Employment Relations

Job Summary

The School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Labor Economics within the Graduate Faculty. LER is a dynamic, multidisciplinary unit with a faculty united by a shared commitment to cutting-edge research on workforce issues. This position is a joint appointment with LER (75%) and the Department of Economics (25%) in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. We are especially interested in candidates with expertise in labor economics, personnel economics, or industrial relations.

The responsibilities of the Assistant Professor include:

(a) conducting and publishing high-quality research;

(b) developing and teaching graduate and undergraduate courses each semester in face-to-face or online formats, depending on the School’s instructional needs;

(c) mentoring and supervising PhD students, as appropriate; and

(d) providing service to the School, the University, and the profession, as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in Economics, or closely related field, or expect to receive the PhD before the starting date of employment.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic position, appointed on a 9-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 8/16/2026. Salary range is $155,000.00-$170,000.00 (plus summer support). 

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

To ensure full consideration, please submit the following:

• A statement that addresses your interest in serving as a tenure-track Assistant Professor including your research and teaching statements.
• A CV.
• Research papers (including a job market paper) and sample publications (if available).
• Three references, including names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers.

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on November 15, 2025. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. Interviews may be conducted before the closing date, although no hiring decisions will be made until after the search has closed. For further information about this specific position, please contact Associate Professor Andrew Weaver at aweaver5@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois offers a very competitive benefits portfolio, depending on the position. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.