Seniority is the backbone of fairness in our workplace. It means that jobs are awarded based on experience and service, not on favoritism, not on who the employer “prefers.” When seniority and experience is respected, members know they can build a future with job security, stability, and dignity.
Right now, the employer is trying to undermine this system by pushing for MORE “preference” in hiring of PhD students into instructor positions. This is seniority-busting, plain and simple. It threatens the job security of our Unit 1 members who are not graduate students, pits us against each other, and erodes the protections we’ve fought for at the bargaining table.
When they weaken seniority, they weaken all of us. Protecting seniority means protecting fair hiring, protecting good jobs, and protecting the quality of education for students. It also means protecting our PhD students who might unfairly be put into positions that they cannot handle or would impede the completion their graduate studies.
Seniority isn’t just a clause in our contract, it’s a principle of fairness we cannot afford to lose.