USC School of Cinematic Arts adjunct faculty members are seeking union representation
Adjunct lecturers at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts are seeking union representation from the United Auto Workers union. Seventy-five percent of adjunct faculty has signed union drive cards, and adjunct lecturers make up a majority of the staff in the School of Cinematic Arts. Lecturers are working Hollywood professionals who have had real industry experience and usually teach two classes at USC. Teaching two classes qualifies lecturers for health insurance, and many professors have stated that the university has cut second classes and many adjunct staff members are no longer eligible for these benefits. Adjunct lecturers are seeking increased pay, and a path to become full-time professors and to obtain tenure at the university. The school has a high turnover rate and often hires recent USC graduates because other film schools in the Los Angeles area pay adjunct faculty higher salaries. The UAW represented other adjunct faculty at other universities in the United States, including New York University and the New School.
See "USC School of Cinematic Arts adjunct faculty members are seeking union representation", Gene Maddaus, Variety, November 30, 2023