The union representing the New School’s academic student workers has thus far received near unanimous approval from its members to go on strike, if necessary.

About 95% of workers who are represented by the union, SENS ACT-UAW Local 7902, voted “yes” to authorize a strike. The union has decided to extend the voting deadline until Friday, Feb. 23, to maximize membership participation.

While this does not mean SENS will strike immediately or on a particular date, it does mean that if a strike becomes necessary as bargaining with the university progresses, the union has the support of its members to initiate one.

SENS member and Ph.D. candidate Aaron Berman said that the union is extending the voting time until this Friday, Feb. 23. This decision is a result of trouble reaching all the employees eligible to join SENS and cast a ballot, because the worker lists provided by the university were incomplete, according to Berman.

In keeping with Article II of the existing contract, the university is required to provide a list of union-eligible employees to the union. Local 7902 President Zoe Carey said that the university had not provided the required information by the date agreed upon in Article II. 

The union is currently awaiting a verdict on an Unfair Labor Practice claim it filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding the issue of information access. 

“A lot will depend on how bargaining goes on Monday the 26,” Berman said. If the majority holds once the voting period ends, the bargaining committee reserves the right to initiate a strike. If the bargaining committee determines that negotiations are not progressing at an acceptable rate, they will take the next step toward initiating a strike by setting a strike date. 

A university statement from Human Resources Vice President Sonya Williams on Feb. 12 said, “While we respect the union’s right to strike, we believe recent sessions have demonstrated that we can successfully move forward together. We are hopeful the union will remain focused on progressing negotiations in good faith so we can reach an agreement to benefit our Academic Student Workers soon.”

A strike date, which the union has not yet set, serves as a hard deadline for a contract, known in union terms as a collective bargaining agreement. It is essentially an agreement between an employer and a union representing employees, that must be adhered to by all parties for its agreed-upon duration. If a strike date is set, the union will continue negotiations with the looming possibility of beginning the strike if both parties’ negotiators do not reach an agreement. 

In the case of SENS, a strike would cause work stoppage for all union members. That includes Course Assistants, Research Assistants and Associates, Teaching Assistants and Fellows, and Tutors. This would mean courses instructed by student employees, research projects that rely on the work of union members, and tutoring programs involving student workers could be paused for the duration of the strike. 

In addition to SENS members, student employees organizing as the New Student Workers Union (NewSWU) are currently in the midst of a hearing with the NLRB to potentially merge with SENS. They have circulated a pledge for all student employees to strike in solidarity with SENS. NewSWU workers include employees at equipment rental centers, the Parsons Making Center, libraries, the Welcome Center, resident advisors, and more.