Faculty at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York have voted overwhelmingly in favor of forming a union with the UAW, joining a growing movement of academic workers organizing for better working conditions.

The newly certified SVA Faculty United-UAW bargaining unit will represent approximately 1,200 instructors at the private art institute. As members prepare for negotiating their first contract, their core concerns include pay equity, workloads that are disproportionate to compensation and the recent loss of benefits such as retirement account contributions and sabbaticals.

“This victory affirms that hundreds of educators and creatives across different disciplines are ready to unite around a just social cause and give solidarity a chance in these thunderous times,” said adjunct faculty member Merlin Ural Rivera. “We are here to build a wonderful, intimate community of professionals who are allowed the time and resources to follow their creative practices while also helping shape the next generation of artists and inspiring them to fight for self-determination.” Read more in Artforum, Hyperallergic, and The Art Newspaper.