Association of Teachers & Staff Reaches Tentative Agreement at New York Film Academy

The Association of Teachers & Staff (ATS.NYFA/UAW) has reached a tentative agreement with the New York Film Academy. Pending ratification, these members will have their first contract after 18 months of fierce bargaining and tireless organizing to demonstrate workers’ collective power.

Through these efforts, members secured an agreement that will make NYFA a better place. Throughout the last year, members saw NYFA outsource employees and issue mass furloughs of our colleagues with virtually no notice. Their collective action has compelled NYFA to act with more transparency and provide evidence to explain these actions. With new information confirming the school’s financial challenges, the final stretch of the union's first contract campaign focused on preserving as much of our current compensation and winning protections in case of ongoing financial instability.

Members won, for the first time at NYFA, guaranteed severance pay for layoffs and notice for any layoff (or pay in lieu of). Even though they were limited by financial constraints, their collective courage, hard work, and solidarity has resulted in real gains for their membership, including gold-star protections from bullying, abuse, discrimination, and harassment, protections from overwork and fair scheduling practices, increases in vacation days and an expansion of who’s eligible to accrue vacation, new titles, Just Cause protections, notice for layoffs and severance pay for laid-off full-time employees. Congratulations to the members of ATS-NYFA/UAW on this hard-fought tentative agreement and their first contract! Follow the union on Instagram here!