07.29.25
LMU and the SEIU 721 Non-Tenure Track (NTT) bargaining unit met for the 13th bargaining session today, continuing efforts to reach a first collective bargaining agreement.
During the session, the union presented two counterproposals. The university team shared a presentation regarding impacts on LMU and higher education, LMU’s market data on compensation (salary and benefits), and the estimated costs of SEIU’s economic proposals. The LMU team also presented one counter proposal.
Presentation
The university’s presentation outlined LMU’s values-based approach and mission-aligned principles for bargaining with the union, organized around three themes:
- Advancing LMU’s Mission in a Changing Environment. The university discussed the current external pressures reshaping higher education, including the era of persistent enrollment compressions (the demographic cliff), economic pressures, and rising competition. These considerations reaffirm the university’s commitments to remaining mission-driven, student-focused, and financially disciplined.
- LMU: An Employer of Choice. The university presented data-driven points to support its enduring commitments to investing in its faculty and staff because it recognizes their essential role in serving its students and fulfilling its mission. This includes providing competitive, market-informed compensation and benefits to attract, support, and retain top talent. Highlights include LMU’s Multi-Year Compensation Initiative, which raised salary benchmarks to the 75th percentile, and a comprehensive benefits review that confirms LMU’s offerings exceed peer standards.
- Understanding the Costs of the SEIU NTT Proposals. The university presented its analysis of the cost implications of the union’s economic proposals. The total estimated cost of implementing all current union proposals/demands would exceed $38 million annually and $152 million cumulatively through FY 28-29 to address the needs of the unit-members only. The base compensation proposals represent a 2X increase for full-time NTT unit member salaries and 5X increase for part time NTT unit member salaries. The university shared the costs of SEIU’s economic proposals. The university previously characterized these economic proposals as unreasonable, and the presentation reiterated this position by illustrating how the proposals would harm the very stakeholders the university serves and jeopardize the institution’s viability. The university hopes that sharing this context will help build a greater sense of mutual understanding between the teams.
To offset the costs proposed by SEIU proposals, LMU would have limited options, including raising tuition by 18% in a single year--which would make LMU the most expensive university in the country-- or making sweeping budget cuts which would likely result in the layoff of 300 employees, reduced academic offerings, and service cuts that harm the student experience and long-term viability of the university. The university explained that these costs are financially unreasonable and fundamentally incompatible with LMU’s mission.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for August 18, 2025. Updates will continue to be posted on LMU’s Bargaining Updates website.