Professors of the practice at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with the university on Tuesday, ending nearly two years of tense negotiations.
The five-year agreement includes raises for all PoPs and safeguards for international employees, according to representatives from the union representing the PoPs and university officials.
Negotiations began in April 2024, with PoPs and their union, SEIU Local 509, advocating for higher wages, among other changes. In October 2025, faculty members at SMFA launched the “Save the SMFA” campaign, aiming, in part, to increase the number of professors of the practice. City councils in both Boston and Medford passed resolutions during the negotiations in support of the PoPs. The university and the PoPs reached a tentative agreement in late January.
“We believe this contract is fair and sustainable and reflects Tufts’ continued commitment to building strong, collaborative relationships with our unionized employees while fulfilling our responsibilities as thoughtful stewards of the university’s long‑term mission and resources,” Patrick Collins, the executive director of media relations at Tufts, wrote in a statement to the Daily.
“We were especially proud of the immediate raises for all PoPs as well as robust protections for international workers, including cost coverage for green card and visa fees,” Dave Foley, the president of SEIU Local 509, wrote in a statement to the Daily. “As attacks on higher education continue, we look forward to continuing our work with the university to ensure that all working people have the opportunity to join a union, bargain together for livable wages and fight for stronger work protections for all.
PoPs who serve as department chairs are not included in the agreement, Collins said. He added that an agreement was reached on a Promotion and Advancement Committee, which will “support faculty development in a way that meets the academic and operational needs of the university while ensuring transparency and consistency in advancement processes.”
“As a faculty organizer, unionizing has been both difficult and deeply meaningful for me,” Neda Moridpour, a SMFA professor of the practice, wrote in an Instagram post by SEIU Local 509. “This work clarified that collective action is not about any one individual, but about establishing conditions that allow us as educators to remain, contribute and care for our communities over time.”
