We, the undersigned tenured and tenure-track faculty at the University of Chicago, support the right of our contingently-employed faculty colleagues to form a union.
We affirm the statement of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) that “faculties at both public and private institutions are entitled, as professionals, to choose by an election or comparable informal means to engage in collective bargaining in order to ensure effective faculty governance” (Statement on Collective Bargaining, AAUP POLICY DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS 259 (2006 ed.)). Moreover, we believe that this is consistent with the principles stated in the University of Chicago’s “Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression” issued in January of this year.
Thus, we ask that the University of Chicago administration remain neutral and not use university funds or other institutional resources to oppose the unionization effort. We ask that the University not employ any union avoidance consultants. Any communications from University personnel speaking in their administrative capacities about the unionization effort should not discourage faculty participation in or support for the initiative. Additionally, we ask that the administration make clear to administrative personnel that a contingent faculty member’s decision to invoke her right to organize can play no role in making personnel decisions about that faculty member, and that the University will tolerate neither intimidation nor retaliation against contingent faculty who invoke their right to organize.
Finally, should the required majority of contingent faculty at the University of Chicago vote in favor of unionization we urge the administration of the University of Chicago to recognize the AAUP’s position on the question of collective bargaining, as it represents a nationally recognized “best practice” for university governance.
Sincerely,
Willemien Otten, Professor, Divinity
Kenneth Warren, Professor, English
Anton Ford, Assistant Professor, Philosophy
Christopher Taylor, Assistant Professor, English
William Sites, Associate Professor, SSA
Ben Laurence, Assistant Professor, Philosophy
Lauren Berlant, Professor, English
Adrienne Brown, Assistant Professor, English
Constantine Nakassis, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Amy Dru Stanley, Associate Professor, History
Amy Lippert, Assistant Professor, History
Leora Auslander, Arthur and Joann Rasmussen Professor of Western Civilization in the College and the Department of History, History
Andreas Glaeser, Professor, Sociology
Bruce Lincoln, Caroline E. Haskell Distinguished Service Professor, History of Religions
Cornell Fleischer, Professor, History and NELC
Denis Hirschfeldt, Professor, Mathematics
Julie Orlemanski, Assistant Professor, English
Daniel Morgan, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies
Kimberly Hoang, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Matthew Briones, Associate Professor, History
Jason Bridges, Associate Professor, Philosophy
William Sewell, Professor Emeritus, Political Science and History
Salomé Aguilera Skvirsky, Assistant Professor, Cinema and Media Studies
Ada Holly Shissler, Associate Professor, NELC
Robert Kendrick, Professor, Music
Jonathan Levy, Associate Professor, History
Susan Schreiner, Professor , Divinity School
Andrei Pop, Associate Professor, Social Thought
Moishe Postone, Professor, History
John Woods, Professor, History/NELC
Janet Johnson, Professor, NELC
Benjamin Morgan, Assistant Professor, English
Itamar Francez, Assistant Professor, Linguistics
Julie Saville, Associate Professor, History
William J. T. Mitchell, Professor, English & Art History
Peter White, Professor, Classics
Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Mario Santana, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Elizabeth Helsinger, Professor Emerita, English
Timothy Campbell, Assistant Professor, English
Daisy Delogu, Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Kaley Mason, Assistant Professor, Music
Armando Maggi, Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Melvin Butler, Assistant Professor, Music
Michael Dawson, Professsor, Political Science
Norma Field, Professor emerita, EALC
Elaine Hadley, Professor, English
Heather Keenleyside, Assistant Professor, English
Patchen Markell, Associate Professor , Political Science
Jennifer Pitts, Associate Professor, Political Science
Travis A. Jackson, Associate Professor, Music
Thomas C Holt, Distinguished Service Professor, History
Susan Lambert, Associate Professor, Social Service Administration
Timothy Harrison, Assistant Professor, English
Candace Vogler, Professor, Philosophy
William Tait, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy
Miguel Martinez, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Ateven Collins, Chester D. Tripp Professor in the Humanities, South Asian Languages and Civilizations
John McCormick, Professor, Political Science
Daniel Brudney, Professor, Philosophy
Johanna Ransmeier, Assistant Professor, History
Victoria Saramago, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
William Schweiker, Professor, Divinity, Divinity School and the College
Janet Johnson, Professor, NELC
Martha Ward, Associate Professor, Art History
Srikanth Reddy, Associate Professor, English
Joseph Masco, Professor, Anthropology
Paola Iovene, Associate Professor, EALC
Faith Hillis, Assistant Professor, History
Tara Zahra, Professor, History
Michael Rossi, Assistant Professor, History
Chiara Cordelli, Assistant Professor, Political Science
Shannon Dawdy, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Hillary Chute, Associate Professor, English
Jacob Eyferth, Associate Professor, EALC
Elizabeth Asmis, Professor, Classics
Kyeong-Hee Choi, Associate Professor, EALC
Judith Farquhar, Professor Emeritus, Anthropology
Larissa Brewer-García, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Yali Amit, Professor, Statistics
Michael Kremer, Mary R. Morton Professor, Philosophy
Laura Gandolfi, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Howard Stein, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy
Christopher Kennedy, Professor, Linguistics
Emily Osborn, Associate Professor, History
Mark Miller, Associate Professor, English
Maria Anna Mariani, Assistant Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Kathleen Belew, Assistant Professor, History
Na’ama Rokem, Assistant Professor, NELC
Alireza Doostdar, Assistant Professor, Divinity
Fred Donner, Professor, NELC and Oriental Institute
Jan Goldstein, Norman & Edna Freehling Profesor, History
Hakan Karateke, Professor, NELC
Nancy Munn, Professor Emeritus, Anthropology
Marco Garrido, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Richard Neer, Professor, Art History
Linda Zerilli, Professor, Political Science
Lawrence Rothfield, Associate Professor, English
Melvin Rothenberg, professor Emeritus, Mathematics
Elissa Weaver, Professor Emerita, Romance Languages & Literatures
Hakan Karateke, Professor, NELC
Michael I. Allen, Associate Professor, Classics
Helma Dik, Associate Professor, Classics
Alison James, Associate Professor, Romance Languages & Literatures
Clifford Ando, Professor, Classics
Christian Wedemeyer, Associate Professor, Divinity School
