Another sign read “Anti-Worker = Anti-Woman”

After about a year of negotiations, BCF-UAW reached a tentative contractual agreement with Barnard College late Wednesday night. This contract means that BCF will no longer strike on the strike deadline of next Tuesday, February 21. While limited information about the details of the contract were originally available, President Debora Spar released some details a few days after the agreement was made. This evening, Barnard Contingent Faculty has released their statement and account of the contract’s details.

While most of the information in BCF’s statement was also stated in President Spar’s account, a few highlights from both include a focus on better job security for contingent faculty via multi-year contracts, a higher “per course” salary, and the establishment of healthcare plans that were previously completely unavailable for contingent faculty.

Bargaining Committee member, adjunct dance professor, and noted Bwog alumna provided the following statement regarding the contract:

“This agreement is a huge step forward for contingent faculty at Barnard and beyond,” said Siobhan Burke, a Barnard alumna and adjunct lecturer in the Dance Department​. “Adjunct and term faculty are the majority of faculty at Barnard, and we deserve wages, benefits, and job security that honor our commitment to teaching. This contract grants us that hard-earned recognition. It is only right that a women’s college, which champions women’s leadership and social justice, should join the national movement in higher education to create more equitable, sustainable working conditions for contingent faculty. We are proud to be part of that movement.”

Photos by Corinne Singer