Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
MEDFORD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — After months of failed contract negotiations, some lecturers at Tufts University started the school week on the picket line.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 represents over 120 full-time lecturers in Tufts’ School of Arts and Sciences. Despite 10 months of unsuccessful contract negotiations, Tufts claims the two sides have been bargaining “in good faith.”
On Monday morning, the full-time lecturers began a two-day strike to demand better pay and a manageable workload as undergraduate enrollment continues to climb. In a statement, the university said they expect all other classes, lectures, and labs to “continue as usual” during the strike.
“The salary is really the most important sticking point right now because we really need to be able to live somewhere near where we teach,” said lecturer and union steward Katie Mattaini.
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Mattaini said the average salary for the teachers is at or below 80 percent of the median income in the area. Tufts spokesperson Patrick Collins said the university has a merit increase philosophy for pay that applies to all staff.
“This philosophy generally includes an interest in compensating faculty and staff with attention to the relevant external market and internal equity, among other factors. The university seeks to adhere to its principles in fairness to all of its employees,” said Collins in a statement.
Students still have to show up to classes, as substitute teachers will be used on both days of the strike. If any classes need to be canceled, the university expects the striking teachers to “take steps to ensure the academic integrity of the classes.”
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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