Dear members,
Three days ago, President of Long Island University Kimberly R. Cline and the Board of Trustees locked out the faculty of the LIU Brooklyn Campus. After contract negotiations on a new contract failed, the administration simply ended negotiations. Such a lockout has never happened before in higher education in the United States. The administration not only locked out the faculty, but they also cut off their pay, their benefits, their health care, and even their university email. (for up to date information see here).
Convinced that this gross violation of labor relations and shared governance practices must be met with swift and resolute denunciation, CUCFA, along with many other faculty associations, the AAUP, and individual faculty around the country has sent a letter to President Cline inviting her to desist from her chosen course of action and return to the negotiating table. We invite all SBFA members to pay attention to the events unfolding and to participate in the discussions that are likely to follow regarding how to deal with this dangerous precedent were Liu’s administrators to persist.
Sincerely,
SBFA Executive Board