St. John’s University in New York City stopped recognizing its faculty labor unions after 56 years. The decision has generated both criticism and support. St. John’s is a Catholic Vincentian college with campuses in Queens and Manhattan. The university enrolls about 19,000 students, with 39% identifying as Catholic.
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St. John’s University, a Catholic Vincentian institution in New York City with about 19,000 students, announced on February 19, 2026, that it will no longer recognize its two faculty labor unions after 56 years.1
President Dominican Father Brian Shanley made the announcement via email, affecting the St. John’s University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (SJU-AAUP) and the Faculty Association, both formed in 1970.1
University spokesman Brian Browne stated the move ensures long-term sustainability amid changes in higher education.1
It provides flexibility to innovate while supporting faculty and prioritizing students, aligning with the Vincentian mission.1
Browne emphasized no reductions in faculty compensation, benefits, or tenure process, with planned wage increases and health insurance relief proceeding.1
Approximately 200 faculty and students protested in February.1
Sophia Bell, new SJU-AAUP leader, called it a "disastrous mistake" violating New York state law, institutional practice, and Catholic social teaching on workers' rights.1
She urged Shanley to return to negotiations to repair harm to the university community.1
As a religious institution, St. John’s invoked a 2020 National Labor Relations Board decision exempting Catholic colleges from federal union jurisdiction.1
The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) supports this religious exemption, affirmed by NLRB and courts.1
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) respects St. John’s choice after collaborative efforts.1
Critics, including theology professor Christopher Denny, argue the decision contradicts teachings like Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum advocating workers’ unions.1
Denny cited Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Leo XIV, urging Catholic universities to model support for unionized faculty, especially adjuncts.1
The university counters that Catholic teaching prioritizes the common good for the entire community, including students, per the Catechism (CCC 1906).1
Does Catholic higher‑education policy permit union recognition?
Catholic higher-education policy permits the recognition of labor unions, provided such recognition aligns with the preservation of the institution's Catholic identity, autonomy, and mission. This conclusion draws from the Church's longstanding social teaching on workers' rights to form associations—rooted in natural justice and the dignity of labor—and the specific norms governing Catholic universities, which emphasize institutional autonomy while requiring fidelity to Catholic doctrine. No magisterial document prohibits union recognition outright; instead, they affirm unions as indispensable for defending workers' interests, with safeguards against threats to faith or morals.
The Church has consistently upheld the right of workers to form unions as an expression of their dignity and a means to secure just conditions. Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum (1891) praises Catholics who form associations to improve workers' lives, foster equity between employers and employees, and promote Gospel precepts of moderation and harmony. These efforts include uniting workers into associations with clerical guidance and support from affluent Catholics funding benefit societies—provided the State watches over them without excessive interference.
Workers' duties include faithful performance and avoiding violence or evil influences, while employers must respect human dignity, ensure time for religious duties, avoid exploitative conditions, and pay just wages sufficient for a frugal life. Public authority may intervene only for grave threats to peace, family, religion, morals, or health, such as unjust strikes or unsafe conditions.
Subsequent teachings reinforce this: Pius XI's Quadragesimo Anno (1931) allows Catholics to join secular unions when necessary, if they uphold justice, permit religious freedom, and are monitored by bishops to avoid anti-Church elements. John Paul II's Laborem Exercens (1981) describes unions as a "right of association" essential for modern society, not mere class struggle but advocates for social justice across professions. Pius X's Singulari quadam (1912) permits membership under strict conditions, ensuring no conflict with Church teachings.
Recent papal statements, like Pope Leo XIV's greeting to Chicago labor leaders (2025), commend unions for enhancing the common good, including minority inclusion, environmental care, immigrant support, and Church collaboration—echoing Francis's call for unions "re-born at the peripheries."
Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) by John Paul II outlines the identity and mission of Catholic universities without addressing unions directly, but its principles permit recognition consistent with autonomy and Catholic fidelity.
Autonomy and Identity: Catholic universities are communities of scholars dedicated to research, teaching, and service, informed by "Catholic ideals, principles and attitudes." They must publicly affirm their Catholic identity, influence all activities with Catholic teaching, and enjoy "autonomy necessary to develop its distinctive identity" while respecting truth and the common good. Governance rests primarily with university authorities (e.g., chancellor, trustees), who recruit personnel committed to this identity.
Personnel and Community: Teachers must respect (and Catholic ones teach faithfully to) Church doctrine; non-Catholics may participate but not form a majority to safeguard identity. Students receive ethical formation rooted in social teaching. Bishops promote and assist in preserving identity through "close personal and pastoral relationships" and dialogue, without direct internal governance.
Church Support: The ecclesial community supports Catholic higher education's freedom and development, guarding rights in civil society.
Canon Law limits clerics from governing unions unless required for Church rights or common good. The USCCB affirms workers' economic security, including unions, while evaluating inequalities against the poor's needs.
Union recognition in Catholic universities is thus permitted as an exercise of institutional autonomy and workers' rights, but subordinate to Catholic identity. Universities could recognize faculty/staff unions via free agreements on wages, hours, and conditions—mirroring Rerum Novarum's call for just labor relations—provided they avoid moral harms (e.g., strikes endangering peace) and ensure religious practice. Bishops might intervene if unions threaten doctrine, as in monitoring for "evil principles."
No source mandates opposition; higher-education docs prioritize identity preservation over labor specifics, deferring to general social teaching. Recent Leo XIV documents emphasize hope amid inequalities, urging policies for labor security. Where tensions arise (e.g., union demands conflicting with hiring for Catholic fidelity), university authorities and bishops must balance via dialogue.
In summary, Catholic policy affirms union recognition as compatible with—and supportive of—human dignity, provided it upholds the university's ecclesial mission. Institutions should consult local bishops for prudential application, ensuring unions promote justice without compromising faith.