The National Labor Relations Board this week dismissed all six of the unfair labor practice charges against the University of La Verne, which could clear the way for the adjunct faculty’s votes on unionization to be counted.
The Service Employees International Union sued the University in February claiming administrators pushed an anti-union agenda. Leading up to the union election, University officials posted videos in which President Devorah Lieberman, Interim Provost Jonathan Reed and Chief Human Resources Office Jody Bomba encouraged adjuncts to vote “no” on unionization.
SEIU has the right to appeal the NLRB’s decision.
“If it does so, there may be a further delay in counting the ballots that are currently impounded,” the University wrote in its union dialog website lavernelabordialog.org.
Main campus adjuncts filed for unionization with the NLRB on Oct. 28. Some adjuncts believe a union will improve their working conditions. Adjuncts had between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14 to vote on unionization.
Although the votes were supposed to be counted by Feb. 18, the NLRB postponed the vote count because it had not yet ruled the University’s appeal to include regional campuses in the bargaining unit.
“The University will continue to advocate for the votes to be counted and calls on the SEIU to support the counting of the ballots so the adjuncts’ voice may be heard,” the University said in its statement.
—Mariela Patron
