UArts faces unfair labor practices complaint from school union

A union representing faculty and staff at the University of the Arts has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the Philadelphia art school, which abruptly closed its doors earlier this summer.

The complaint, filed with the National Labor Relations Board, alleges that the school refused to “provide information” after it attempted to negotiate severance pay and other issues following the school’s closure last June. News of the complaint was first reported by Artnet News THURSDAY.

A representative for UArts did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ARTnewsRequest for comment from.

The complaint comes as UArts faces another ongoing lawsuit: a class-action lawsuit filed by nine employees who say the school violated the law by failing to provide the 60-day notice required for mass closures or layoffs of more than 100 people. The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office and state officials have also said they are investigating the school.

Before its June 7 closure, UArts had a reputation as one of the most prestigious art schools in the country. It opened 148 years ago and its alumni included Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Alex Da Corte and Deborah Willis.

Just before announcing its permanent closure, the school lost its accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. On June 2, five days before its final closure, the school said it “finally sees a viable path forward for the institution to remain open and serving its mission.”