Loyola Marymount Stops Union Negotiations, Citing Religious Exemption

Loyola Marymount union members, students and other supporters rallied Tuesday before a town hall–style meeting about the university’s decision.

Emily Dorrel/SEIU 721

The Loyola Marymount University Board of Trustees will no longer recognize its new non-tenure-track faculty union and cease bargaining, claiming a religious exemption with the National Labor Relations Board, the Roman Catholic institution said last week.

If the university succeeds in shuttering its union post hoc, it could set a precedent that would put faculty unions at other religious colleges at risk, experts say. For now, the move has left faculty bewildered, angry and wondering what’s next.

The announcement was a shock, said Bryan Wisch, a rhetorical arts instructor at Loyola Marymount and member of the bargaining tea