SAIC Peer-to-Peer Q&A
Dear Colleagues,
On Aug. 4, SAIC administration sent out an email to all staff in response to AICWU’s public launch. On Tuesday, August 10, we—your peers, colleagues, and friends—officially made public our campaign to organize our workforce, with the aim of creating an equitable, sustainable, and transparent workplace for SAIC employees at every level. Soon after our SAIC Workers United’s launch, we learned that the administration enlisted anti-union consultants to guide them through communications with all of us in the SAIC community as they work to resist our protected right to organize a union.
The initial message shared by the administration on Aug. 4 contained many misleading statements, and with support from their consultants, we anticipate continued strategized messaging meant to divide, obfuscate, confuse, and ultimately squelch our efforts. As such, we want to provide information to assist you as you do your own research, consider facts, and ultimately make your own decision about joining AICWU. We also want to share some of our positions, peer to peer, to help you gain the knowledge you’ll need as you process ambiguous or deceptive information being shared by the administration in union information emails and required staff training sessions.
At this juncture in our efforts to organize, as we’re creating the opportunity to negotiate a fair contract with management, we want to assert our belief in SAIC’s potential. It is possible that workers at every level come to feel that our work is valued. It is possible for us all to be respected enough to be given a seat at the table where decisions are made that shape our work lives. And it is possible that all staff experience the fruits of our labor and collectively enjoy the investments we have made in SAIC.
It is in this spirit that we’re sharing information and making ourselves available to answer any questions you have. We have two separate Zoom info sessions happening this Thursday, August 19th—at 12 PM and at 6:30 PM. You can register here for the noon meeting or here for the 6:30 PM meeting. In the meantime, read below for some common questions as well as a peer testimonial from David Norris.
Frequently Asked Questions
I want to sign a card, but management told me I wouldn’t qualify for the union. Is this true?
Don't let them fool you! SAIC does NOT decide who is or isn’t eligible for union representation. That decision is made ONLY by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Claiming that employees are ineligible is a typical anti-union tactic by bosses who want to prevent employees from organizing and having a real voice.
We’ve heard management claiming that certain titles are supervisory and therefore not eligible. In reality, supervision of titles outside of the Bargaining Unit--including outside vendors, independent contractors, or student interns--do not constitute "supervisory" before the NLRB.
Again, the Labor Board--NOT management!-- is the only institution with the power to determine who is and isn’t a part of the bargaining unit is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). When in doubt, sign a card!
What does “bargaining unit” mean? Who is considered a part of the bargaining unit at SAIC?
A bargaining unit is a position that is represented by a labor union. If you spend a majority of your time fulfilling tasks rather than delegating, you qualify for union representation. This includes staff members who oversee student workers and other staff members. Remember, management doesn’t decide who is and who isn’t a part of the bargaining unit. That is for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to determine, regardless of the changes management may make to your job description!
Who finds out if I sign a card?
Signing a card is quick, easy, and completely confidential. Only the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have access to it. The only way for management to know if you’ve signed a card is if you tell them. When employers have attempted to access cards in the past, case law has upheld their confidentiality. Even a subpoena cannot give an employer access to cards.
It is also illegal for a workplace to retaliate against an employee for organizing.
Will a union give me a seat at the table and let workers’ voices be heard?
AICWU, our union, will be composed of coworkers who are elected by us to represent us when it comes time to bargain for a contract. They are not some third-party entrant but your friends, coworkers, and peers.
Over these last eighteen months, we’ve seen how far “individual voices” carry at this School. “Individual voices” are subject to changeable work conditions, job instability, and shrinking benefits. The School of the Art Institute could afford to make more of an investment in staff if they chose to; management has simply indicated that is not a priority to them. Our union wants to change that and ensure that leadership invests in our talent and our careers.
The formation of our union does not mean an end to the vital work of the Staff Advisory Council, Anti-Racism Committee, Make Ready Advisory Group, Campus Emergency Operations Planning committees, and our other working groups. Our union and our contract present the opportunity to hold management accountable to the demands that these largely unpaid working groups have been fighting for, long before their official, administration-sanctioned inception.
Is the primary goal of a union to increase wages?
Right now the primary goal of our union is to give staff a seat at the table with the School of the Art Institute administration. We want the right to negotiate our working conditions, benefits, professional development, and, yes, our wages. Because unionized workers have strong negotiating power, they tend to earn more than non-unionized workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 unionized workers earned an average of 19.4% more than non-unionized workers. That difference increased to 25.98% and 39.18% for b/Black and Latinx workers, respectively.
What is the benefit of collective bargaining?
Currently both AIC and SAIC management decide unilaterally on all of the terms and conditions of our employment—including furloughs and layoffs; compensation; benefits; promotions; permanent, term, or hourly status; paid time off; and more. With a union, management must bargain in good faith over these and other conditions of our employment, and benefits cannot be modified without our agreement. (Note: management cannot reduce benefits to retaliate against us for unionizing, force us to “bargain back” what we already have, or retaliate against us while we are organizing.)
How will forming our union affect our benefits?
Once we form our unions, it is illegal for management to reduce or alter our benefits without negotiating with our elected bargaining team. We will start with what we currently have and negotiate improvements. Management cannot force us to “bargain back” what we already have. Without a union, management can change our benefits at any time.
David Norris provided a stirring testimonial we wanted to take the time to highlight, in light of management’s recent messaging:
Anyone can support! Remaining neutral only supports the status quo where staff are literally treated as just a human resource for our School without regard for our well-being or quality of life. No one has to be neutral, and the ways they can help range from confidential to more vocal, depending on their level of comfort.
A great way to support in a confidential way is signing a union card. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will determine eligibility based on job descriptions, not title or what management has told staff. At no point will management know who has signed those cards, so anyone can sign them, including folks who think or have been told they are managers. It doesn’t hurt them in any way. It only helps us (and them if they really are eligible for the union).
There are ways everyone can support, and it’s legal and perfectly okay for anyone to talk about our union.
This campaign is historic, and now is the perfect time to get informed and get involved. If you haven’t yet, sign a card! It’s quick, it’s confidential, and it’s the best way to ensure that we can support and uplift each other now and in the future, when we’ve won our union! Have questions? Send us an email (info@aicwu.org), or reach out in-person. We want to welcome you!
Sincerely,
Your AICWU school-side peers and representatives
