New Mexico State University faculty union files ‘bad faith’ negotiations complaint

Members of New Mexico State University’s faculty union served a prohibited practice complaint against university administration Monday alleging the university has acted in “bad faith” in its negotiations.

About 40 NMSU faculty members rallied outside Hadley Hall, the university administration building, to protest the delay in the union’s first contract negotiations, which started in January of last year. Faculty organizers pointed to what they described as a “pattern of bad faith” negotiations regarding compensation, benefits, workload and parental leave.

NMSU’s Graduate Workers United filed a separate complaint against the university last week alleging the administration failed to notify members before they stopped deducting union dues from their checks.

“This seems like an attempt to weaken our union and our collective power,” Michelle Granger, NMSU NEA bargaining spokesperson and English Department professor, said to the crowd. “After 662 days, we ask that management come back to the table with the level of respect and accountability that we, the backbone of NMSU, deserve.”

The union’s complaint highlights more than 20 instances in which NMSU administration allegedly violated bargaining rules, including not responding to financial information requests; submitting fewer contract proposals than the faculty union; and removing proposals for family leave. The complaint also alleges the university general counsel stated, “Do you think that status quo is the lowest we can go?” in a bargaining meeting in September. 

The complaint, filed with the Public Employee Labor Relations Board, requests that the board find that the university engaged in prohibited practices and order administration not to interfere with timely negotiations.

“Faculty deserve a fair and timely process that respects our rights to bargain,” Granger said. “Faculty should not have to wait years for the protections and respect that we deserve.”

NMSU spokesperson Amanda Wyatt told Source NM in an emailed statement that university administration is aware of the union complaint and “remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Public Employee Bargaining Act and engaging in good-faith collective bargaining. We will not comment further on the specific allegations while the matter is pending.”

Jamie Bronstein, chief spokesperson for NMSU NEA and professor in the history department, told Source NM that despite the university seemingly maintaining the “status quo,” the union is willing to meet them at the table. 

“I don’t really understand it because New Mexico is a state that respects organized labor,” Bronstein said. “The teachers unions are very strong and everybody understands how beneficial unions can be, and so NMSU foot-dragging doesn’t make sense to me in the context of the wider state that we live in.”