CBA for Full-time Lecturers Ratified

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to share that the collective bargaining agreement between Tufts University and the Full-time Lecturers of the School of Arts and Sciences (represented by SEIU Local 509) has been ratified.

The university and SEIU Local 509 worked collaboratively for a little over a year to complete this third contract covering the full-time lecturers, now mostly referred to as Assistant Teaching Professors, Associate Teaching Professors, and Teaching Professors, in the School of Arts and Sciences. These negotiations were extended due to several factors including staffing changes and usual breaks due to vacations and competing responsibilities on all sides. This contract demonstrates our shared interest in maintaining an exceptional academic experience for our students and appropriately supporting the teaching faculty who are valued contributors to our learning community.

Throughout this process, the university adhered to its compensation and merit increase philosophy that it applies to all faculty and staff, which generally includes an interest in compensating faculty and staff with attention to the relevant external market and internal equity, among other factors. Beyond usual compensation features, the contract includes updates to workload policies, such as a new school-wide workload committee focused on workload equities within and throughout departments in assessing course equivalencies and workload expectations, among others.

The new contract reflects changes resulting from a collaborative effort to align the contract with the evolving needs of both the institution and our faculty colleagues. The university’s approach remained consistent throughout this negotiation, focused on shared problem solving and collaboration, which we have established over more than a decade with the union. Our focus has always been on reaching agreements that are mutually beneficial and sustainable for all parties involved. We are proud to have achieved that goal collaboratively with this contract.

With best wishes,

Bárbara M. Brizuela
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences

Samuel W. Thomas
Senior Dean of Academic Affairs, School of Arts and Sciences