It is imperative that a contract is reached before the end of the semester, UNTF president Penny Gardner said.

Non-tenure track faculty are seeking heightened job security through unionizing, she said.

“I would like to be paid what I’m worth and I would like to have some idea of job security, that should I have taught well, gotten good grades, gotten good evaluations from people, why can’t I just be hired again and again,” Gardner said.

James Nash, director of Employee Relations and chief negotiator for the university, referred questions regarding the matter to Terry Curry, associate provost and associate vice president for academic human resources.

Curry was unavailable for comment Friday.

During the rally, participants chanted, “Support the faculty.” One participant played an accordion as others sang, “Solidarity forever, the union makes us strong.”

Andy Corner, chair of the bargaining committee for UNTF, said the economic side of negotiations — including pay, work conditions and job security — still need to be settled.

The noneconomic side was settled Thursday, Gardner said. UNTF has been working on proposals for the last year, she said.

Advertising freshman Ian Sanwald said he attended Friday’s rally because his writing, rhetoric and American culture professor — who rekindled his interest in writing — is nontenured.

“I would hate to think that other people wouldn’t be able to experience not just her class, but any class,” he said. “I’d hate to lose these professors.”

The issue of job security for professors has implications for students, said Maryann Sherby, a professor of writing, rhetoric and American culture.

“If we have more job security and we know we’re coming back for the next semester, we can be more invested in the curriculum,” Sherby said. “It’s definitely something that can benefit students if you have people who aren’t just able to be dismissed at will.”