Adjuncts United

Adjuncts United is a voice for part-time faculty at Syracuse University.

Our Impact

Part-Time Instructors (PTI) and Adjunct Faculty began organizing at Syracuse University in 2005. Adjuncts United unionized with the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) in 2006, and is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

“Unionizing was supported by three-quarters of the voting members of the part-time instructors. That to me was a clear mandate.”

—Founding President, Jeanette Jeneault

Prior to Adjuncts United’s first negotiated collective bargaining agreement in 2008, Part-Time Instructors and Adjunct Faculty worked at the whim of administrators. Before unionization, contingent faculty did not have uniform hiring practices across schools and colleges, defined length of contracts, access to benefits or job security, grievance rights, nor access to University funded professional development opportunities. Since unionizing, we have successfully negotiated an agreement every three years on behalf of our members—making beneficial gains each time. We have negotiated pay increases, and have identified and ensured the payout of over $118,000 in retroactive pay to more than 350 members. We continue to monitor and enforce pay-related provisions of adjunct and part-time faculty contracts.

Newly Negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement

Link To Syracuse University HR website

https://hr.syr.edu/information-for/labor-relations/adjuncts-united-2

At this link, you will find our newly-negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement. Bargaining Team members negotiated the new three-year agreement with Syracuse University in the winter of 2020, as the global pandemic was descending upon us. We secured raises for unit members, even in a time when the university froze salaries and halted raises for full-time faculty.

This agreement governs many aspects of your employment with Syracuse University, and affords you certain rights and benefits as a bargaining unit member. Please read and contact us here, if you have any questions or concerns. 

We would like to highlight some new language in the collective bargaining agreement.

The term “break in service” is now defined as a period of two or more academic years during which you are not on an approved leave and/or do not work for the university. (See: Article II.)  After a break in service everything resets, including probation, per credit rates & dues checkoff.

Beginning in the fall of 2020, probation has been shortened to four semesters, resulting in quicker access to benefits for members, including part-time and adjunct faculty who teach intermittently. The four semesters that constitute the probation period do not have to be consecutive, or even in consecutive academic years. To put it another way, the probation period is four semesters, and these four semesters can accrue in any combination over an extended period of time as long as a “break in service” (as defined above) does not occur. If you do not teach for a period of time, but you work for the university in any capacity — even in non-teaching positions, —  you will now preserve your per-credit rate, and your post-probationary status.

We also clarified language on pay increases for those who teach intermittently, to make sure they receive increases to which they are entitled.

Further, we negotiated an increase in The Professional Development Fund for adjuncts and part-time faculty. (See Article XII.) Please see the Professional Development Fund page (also referred to as a “PDF”) on this site, along with the application form and instructions on applying for funds here.