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