"Since the switch occurred, I've been able to see one physician who gave me referrals to a number of other physicians in Pasadena—and none of them take this insurance. None of them have heard of this insurance," Patrick Schmid, an assistant director of admissions, tells The Art Newspaper. "The healthcare shift was really instrumental in motivating us, but that's the tail end of years of issues we're addressing."
"One of our biggest issues as an institution right now is student retention," says Sam Wentz, the faculty chair at CalArts' school of dance, who adds that staff retention is similarly challenging. "Due to our low salaries, we're not very competitive with other schools for hiring faculty. So if UCLA comes knocking, instructors leave."
The last time CalArts faculty and staff pushed for unionisation was in 2021, withdrawing their petition soon thereafter. The current group cites a disparity between cost of living in Valencia, Pasadena and the Los Angeles region where the campus is located, in addition to stagnant wages.
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