NTT Faculty FAQs
The best way to learn about our union is to come to a membership meeting! We’ve covered some common questions below.
Who is on our union executive board?
President: Christine Shallenberg
Vice President/Chief Steward: Tedd Neenan
Vice President/School-Museum Liaison: Hope Esser
Recording Secretary: Anneli Goeller
Secretary-Treasurer: Eric Leonardson
Communications Chair: Nia Easley
PEOPLE Chair: Claire Lobenfeld
Good and Welfare Chair: Eliza Fernand
Member Action Chair: Sarah Bastress
Trustees: Michael Dorf, Asya Dubrovina, Danny Floyd
What does a union steward do?
One of the benefits of being a member of our bargaining unit is access to our NTT faculty union stewards. These amazing individuals have been trained to support our NTT faculty in improving workplace conditions, understanding our contract, attending disciplinary meetings, and filing grievances when we feel our bargaining agreement has not been honored. If you would like to speak with an SAIC NTT faculty member trained as a union steward, please contact us at aicwu4888ntt@gmail.com and we will connect you.
Do I need to sign a union card?
Yes. In order to be recognized as a union member, you must sign a card with AFSCME.
How do I sign a card?
Follow the link above.
How much are union dues?
The amount of dues you pay corresponds to your rank. Lecturer-rank faculty pay $11.45 per paycheck and adjunct faculty pay $16.93 per paycheck.
Do I have to be in the union?
No. In that case, you must sign what is called an agency fee-payer card and a smaller amount will be deducted from your paycheck. The amount corresponds to your rank, with lecturer-rank faculty paying $9.78 and adjunct-rank faculty paying $14.45.
How do I access the uninsured faculty health care stipend?
One of the benefits negotiated as part of our collective bargaining agreement is the health care stipend for lecturers. Beginning in Fall 2025, a total of $150,000 per semester is available. In fall 2025, that amount was distributed evenly to those that applied for a total of $2,205.88 per person before taxes were taken out. The per-person amount will vary each semester based on the number of people that apply for access to these funds.
Lecturers must apply for this benefit each semester, so for Spring 2026, eligible individuals should expect communication from SAIC near the beginning of the Spring semester regarding the process for application.
To be eligible for the health care stipend, an NTT Lecturer must:
Have successfully completed their probationary period of 2 academic years and have taught 6 credits prior to the beginning of the current semester.
Be teaching a minimum of 1 three-credit course in the current semester.
Be otherwise ineligible for, or participating (themselves or through a covered spouse or partner) in, any employer-sponsored health insurance program.
Not be enrolled in government-sponsored health insurance, i.e. Medicare or Medicaid.
How are we responding to the halt in adjunct promotions?
We are incredibly dismayed by the pause in promotions from Lecturer to Assistant Professor, Adj for the 2025-26 academic year. We know that access to these promotions is the pathway to stabilizing working conditions for those currently teaching at the Lecturer rank. The needs and talents of these individuals, as well as their dedication and the essential roles they fill within their departments, have not been honored in this decision. If this has affected you, we want to hear from you. Please contact us at: aicwu4888ntt@gmail.com.