Employers have a legal duty to bargain in good faith with their employees' representative. This duty encompasses many obligations, including a duty not to make certain changes without bargaining with the union and not to bypass the union and deal directly with employees it represents. Per the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), failing to meet this legal duty is illegal and an unfair labor practice.

LMU's board of trustees and Thomas Poon have joined the war against workers! They announced it would stop recognizing our union and end bargaining with us for a first union contract. Even if the board of trustees think they have found a legal loophole that justifies their actions, their decision is a moral failure that violates the principles of Catholic social teaching. It is union-busting, plain and simple. No university that claims to stand for justice or Jesuit values should treat its faculty this way. 

A majority YES strike authorization vote empowers our elected Bargaining Action Team (BAT) to call for a ULP strike should one be necessary. We will continue to emphatically demand for LMU’s Board of Trustees and admin to stop the union busting, return to the table immediately, and negotiate in good faith. Taking collective action is how we will show LMU that we will not sit back while they trample on our rights. We can prove, together, that the faculty of LMU will not allow the administration to silence us.

Since bargaining commenced, we have filed four Unfair Labor Practice charges against LMU for the following reasons:

1. Interference with, restraint, and coercion of its employees in the exercise of rights protected by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when LMU threatened to retaliate against employees if they joined or supported a union and/or the use of the bargaining team’s logo.

2. Retaliation, unilateral changes, and failure to bargain to impasse when LMU refused to maintain the status quo in granting unionized employees’ their annual, earned merit increases. Instead, LMU held employees’ wages hostage to force employees to give into their demands.

3. Unilateral change and failure to bargain to impasse when LMU refused to maintain the status quo and approved unionized employees’ standard promotions. Instead, LMU held unionized employees earned promotions hostage to force employees to give into their demands.

4. Unilateral change, failure to bargain to impasse, and direct dealing when LMU cynically  withdrew union recognition, refused to bargain with the Union, unilaterally imposed new terms and conditions of work on unionized employees, and bypassed the Union to directly deal with unionized employees. 

There is no strike date yet. A ULP strike only happens if a majority of LMU NTT members vote YES to give the BAT the power to authorize one AND the BAT determines it is necessary. If LMU refuses to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith, the BAT will assess next steps.

That can take time, and we can’t wait for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) or the Trump regime’s courts to save us — not in this political climate where workers’ rights are under attack. We must act now to get LMU back to the table and show them that we are willing to take action to fight for our union, our rights, and the fair pay and working conditions that we deserve. The only way we win is by showing LMU right now that we are united and will not accept their union-busting. A YES vote authorizing a strike will show we’re union strong and we’re sticking together.

Yes. The facts have not changed: Our union was certified in summer 2024 by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after a vote of nearly 90% approval from NTT faculty to join SEIU Local 721. Since the summer of 2024, we have been acting as a union and have been bargaining for the last 10 months. The board of trustees cannot erase our democratic choice to form our union or silence our collective voice.

Here’s the truth: In the past, ULP strikes have been legally protected, and workers could not be permanently replaced. Our legal counsel will fight any retaliation, but with the current NLRB and Trump-appointed courts, we cannot predict how worker protections will be enforced. That’s why our greatest shield is not the law alone, but our solidarity. When we act together, it is harder for LMU to retaliate and harder for them to ignore us.

Historically, in ULP strikes, workers could not be permanently replaced. But given today’s political and legal environment, there is uncertainty about how those rules will be applied. That’s why our greatest shield is not the law alone, but our numbers. When we act together, it is harder for LMU to retaliate and harder for them to ignore us. We don’t believe LMU can afford to lose a large number of experienced faculty in the middle of the semester.

No. If we withhold our labor by striking, we should not attempt to conceal that by using sick leave or vacation time. 

It depends on the duration of the strike. The union offers strike assistance to any strike that lasts more than seven days. 

It’s an absurd excuse to deny us our right to a union. LMU’s action has nothing to do with religious freedom or expression. It’s a cynical attempt to wipe away the rights and protections of faculty members and other employees on campus and end our ability to fight for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It’s absurd and shameful.

The late Pope Francis stated: ‘There is no union without workers, and there are no free workers without a union.’ LMU’s union-busting contradicts its stated commitment to Catholic and Jesuit principles, social justice, equity, and human dignity. The faculty members that make up the LMU faculty union with SEIU 721 embody the expressed values of this university. We are a vital force for justice and dignity on campus, and represent the best of Catholic social teaching.

Other Catholic and Jesuit colleges have faculty unions — including Fordham University, Georgetown University, University of San Diego, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, St. Mary’s College of California, St. Francis College, St. John’s University, Loyola University Chicago, Marymount Manhattan College, and many more. There are also many unionized Catholic charities, social service organizations, hospitals, nursing homes, and elementary, middle, and high schools. It’s absurd that LMU claims it can’t tolerate unionized employees and faculty members when these other Catholic institutions can. 

A labor union is a group of workers who join together to protect their rights and improve their working conditions. Whether it's better pay, job security, or benefits- unions give workers a stronger voice by standing together.

Yes! We successfully voted and formed a union! 

All NTTF (non tenure track faculty) in the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, the College of Communications and Fine Arts, and the School of Film & Television are now part of SEIU local 721. 

The bargaining action team (BAT) are representatives that were elected from current LMU faculty by the union members. 

There are 15 BATs, with five from each school in the union. 

The BAT is a group of 15 elected faculty that meet with LMU administration to bargain our union contract. There are 5 faculty representatives from each of the schools in the union.

The BAT members from SFTV are:

• Leslie LaPage - Production

• Jon Medici - Screenwriting

• Mike Daley - Screenwriting

• Sam Goff - Animation

• Elizabeth Quinn - Screenwriting

The BAT members from BCLA are:

• Arik Greenberg - Theology

• Bryan Wisch - Rhetorical Arts

• Mark Gaynor - Philosophy

• Laura Huffman - Languages

• Lauren Cole - History

• Lin Hua (Alternate)

The BAT members from CFA are:

• Maureen Gonzales - Dance

• Jermaine McGhee - Dance

• Barbara Dyer - Music

• Brian Moss - Photography

• Nicki Heskin - Production

The CAT is the connection between the BAT and the rest of the faculty members. The CAT is a group of faculty that disseminate union updates and relay feedback from faculty to the BAT. They are the keepers of the “phone tree”!

We are always looking for more CAT members! Please consider joining and reach out to learn more. 

The CAT members from SFTV are:

• Laura Harrington

• Rebecca Sherwood

• Kim Icrevezi

• Michelle Amor Gillie

The CAT members from BCLA are:

• Jessica Martinez-Tebbel

• Clinton Carl

• Michelle Bitting

• Alexander Zambrano

The CAT members from CFA are:

• Laurel Butler 

No, absolutely not.

Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against a worker for being involved in their union.

The goal  of the BAT is to have our union contract by the beginning of Fall ‘25 Semester. In order for that to happen we need everyone to be involved and show support for your union. The more pressure we put on LMU the faster we will get our contract.

The biggest need we have right now is getting involved in the CAT! CAT members have a weekly meeting to get up to speed with what are upcoming events.

Don’t have that much time? Here are other ways you can get more involved:

• Attend a general membership meeting on zoom

• Attend a bargaining session in person

• Attend our marches and rallies

To learn about these opportunities, check your email inbox, follow us on Instagram, or reach out to your BAT and CAT representatives!

Yes! Please do!

Whatever we are bargaining in our union contract will supersede what is in your current contract. All changes will be made retroactively, so continue with business as usual until then. 

Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing almost 1.9 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. SEIU is the largest union in SoCal. They represent over 100,000 members in various job sectors ranging from Healthcare, Public Services, and Higher Education.

SEIU Local 721 represents workers across 6 different campuses:

• University of Southern California

• OTIS College of Art and Design

• Laguna College of Art and Design

• Whittier College

• Occidental College

• University of San Diego