There are no scheduled events at this time.
Dear MUSE Members,
Like many of you, we were deeply surprised by the message from the President’s Office earlier today announcing the discontinuation of several academic programs at MMC. We know this news raises serious concerns, and we want to assure you that we are moving quickly to gather more information and determine how best to support and protect our members.
The MUSE Executive Board will be meeting on Monday to discuss next steps. In the meantime, we invite you to share any questions, concerns, or feedback using the Google form below. Your input is essential, and we want to ensure your voices are represented in the conversations and strategy moving forward.
We are currently planning a MUSE Member Town Hall for next week, which will offer a space for open conversation about this most recent update and the broader concerns surrounding the merger. This will be a critical opportunity for us to hear directly from you — your experiences, your questions, and your priorities. That input makes a real difference in how we advocate and act on your behalf.
We remain committed to transparency, communication, and most importantly, to each of you. Your voice matters, and we are here to ensure it is heard.
In solidarity,
The MUSE Executive Board
Xander Peterson – president@musemmc.org
John Bracken – vicepresident@musemmc.org
Katie Meade – secretary@musemmc.org
Ryan Atwell – treasurer@musemmc.org
General inquiries – union@musemmc.org
Dear MUSE Members,
As the executive board wraps up our transition, we wanted to send an update about our activities and ask for your input.
If you attended the happy hour event on June 17th you saw a suggestion box we brought to collect thoughts from our members. Going forward we have created this suggestion form for the membership so that at any time you can share your thoughts with us, whether or not you are working on campus. Please note that you can still always reach us by email, but this is a way to submit feedback anonymously if you wish.
On Tuesday next week the new executive board will meet with the MMC Integration Leads, Diana Zambrotta-Sheetz and Katie LeBesco to continue discussions about staff priorities during the MMC-Northeastern merger. If you have any topics you think we should broach or specific questions please reach out. Especially in this time of uncertainty, we encourage every member to make their voice heard and need your perspectives to ensure we are engaging with everyone’s needs.
We have also been working on making the union’s activities more accessible to membership. By the end of the summer we are launching a new union website with member resources, a grievance form, contact information and more. We are also digitizing the MUSE archives, and going through MUSE’ bylaws to make sure they are up-to-date and accurate.
We anticipate holding a general membership meeting toward the end of August or beginning of September to update membership on the end of the 24-25 contract negotiation and the beginning of our final negotiation with MMC for 25-26.
In strength and solidarity,
Mike Roberts & Xander Peterson, president@musemmc.org
Mondo Morales & John Bracken, vicepresident@musemmc.org
Katie Meade, secretary@musemmc.org
Ryan Atwell, treasurer@musemmc.org
General Email, union@musemmc.org
Dear MUSE Members,
Close One of the merger between Marymount Manhattan College and Northeastern University has now been reached—a historic milestone in the life of our institution. As we move into this next chapter, MUSE stands strong and unwavering in our commitment to you: the staff who uphold the mission of MMC with dedication, professionalism, and pride.
This moment marks the beginning of an important phase—one that will require clarity, strategy, and unity. We want to be clear: MUSE is fully prepared to meet this moment. As Close Two approaches, we are mobilizing to ensure that your rights, voices, and contributions remain central to every conversation and every decision.
We are actively laying the groundwork for upcoming bargaining, and our top priority is to reach a fair and comprehensive agreement with MMC before Close Two. This contract will not only protect our members—it will define our future. We are reviewing every detail with care, determination, and the firm belief that our work matters and deserves to be valued.
In addition, we are initiating outreach to union partners across both MMC and Northeastern to build a unified and informed coalition. Collaboration will be key as we navigate the road ahead, and we intend to approach this work with the strength and solidarity that defines MUSE.
We also hope you’ll join us tonight, Tuesday, June 17th at 5:30 PM at The Hunterian (413 E 70th St) for a casual happy hour. Your first drink is on us! This is a great opportunity to meet the new MUSE Executive Board, share your priorities, voice your thoughts and concerns, and build community. For those who prefer to share feedback anonymously, we’ll have suggestion cards available as well. We look forward to hearing from you and strengthening our collective voice.
We know that moments of transition can bring uncertainty—but let us be clear: your union is not standing still. We are acting. We are advocating. We are leading. And above all, we are committed to ensuring that this process leads to a future that honors the values we all share.
Thank you for your continued trust, dedication, and belief in our shared mission. We see you. We represent you. And we are ready to move forward—together.
In strength and solidarity,
Mike Roberts & Xander Peterson, president@musemmc.org
Mondo Morales & John Bracken, vicepresident@musemmc.org
Katie Meade, secretary@musemmc.org
Ryan Atwell, treasurer@musemmc.org
General Email, union@musemmc.org
Hello form your combined MUSE Executive Board,
We are still in the process of transitioning MUSE leadership, but the incoming Board is excited to get to work and move forward with renewed energy and a commitment to transparency, accessibility, and representation! In that spirit, we would like to share some of our key priorities and initiatives that are already in the works.
In person MUSE social / Happy Hour!
We want to hear from you! Please join us at The Hunterian next Tuesday, June 17th at 5:30 PM for an informal social / happy hour, your first drink is on us!
This is an opportunity to meet the new MUSE Executive Board, to tell us what YOUR priorities are, and to share your thoughts, concerns, and questions with us. We want to make ourselves available to you and hope to foster a stronger relationship and community within MUSE.
We will also have anonymous suggestion / comment cards (as emailing and talking in person is never anonymous) for those who do not feel comfortable voicing concerns!
The Hunterian
413 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021
Collective Bargaining Agreement
The new executive board is currently reviewing the most recent contract between MUSE and MMC with the goal of identifying areas to expand, improve and/or get clarity on.
We will also be consulting with our NYSUT representative who is a lawyer as well as NU For The Common Good, a collective that includes unions from other NU campuses, to make sure our contract affords the most protections possible ahead of the merger. We will be following up with specific points that we will be proposing ahead of negotiations.
Update MUSE By-laws
The MUSE By-laws were last ratified in 2010 and need to be updated as this is the legally binding document that outlines how MUSE operates. As it stands currently, it includes outdated instructions for communications, clauses that have now been nullified / are in direct opposition with our contract and MOA with MMC (as that document is updated every year).
Moving forward, an annual review of the MUSE By-laws by the Executive Board will take place directly following negotiations and the signing of our contract with MMC or NU. This will include an assessment if any amendments are necessary to keep our By-laws compliment with our contract with MMC/NU and consider if any adjustments or alterations are needed that will improve union operations.
We will schedule a MUSE member meeting to outline the proposed updated By-laws, and to call for a member vote to implement the changes.
NYSUT Union Leadership Conference
Our larger governing union association, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) https://www.nysut.org/ is holding a Union Leadership Conference in August. We are proud to be sending members of our Executive Board to this conference, which focuses on labor history, relevant laws and regulations, grievance handling, negotiation strategies, and effective union leadership. We hope this reflects our commitment to MUSE and fosters confidence in the Board’s ability to lead with clarity and purpose as we navigate the upcoming merger with NU.
In solidarity, MUSE BOARD,
Mike Roberts & Xander Peterson, president@musemmc.org
Mondo Morales & John Bracken, vicepresident@musemmc.org
Katie Meade, secretary@musemmc.org
Ryan Atwell, treasurer@musemmc.org
General Email, union@musemmc.org
MUSE EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTION UPDATES:
Following an extended nomination period, only one individual accepted the nomination for each open position. As all nominees are running unopposed, no voting is required, and they will be appointed to the Executive Board seat they accepted a nomination for.
It is our pleasure to announce the new MUSE Executive Board!
President: Xander Peterson
Vice President: John Bracken
Secretary: Katie Meade
Treasurer: Ryan Atwell
We want to extend a big thank you again to Vernell Bolar and Josie Janssen for running the Nomination and Election Committee!
There will be a transition period during which the outgoing board will provide cross-training to ensure a smooth handover to the incoming board. The new board will officially assume their roles on July 1st, at which point the former board will be dissolved.
In solidarity, MUSE BOARD,
Mike Roberts & Xander Peterson, president@musemmc.org
Mondo Morales & John Bracken, vicepresident@musemmc.org
Katie Meade, secretary@musemmc.org
Ryan Atwell, treasurer@musemmc.org
General Email, union@musemmc.org