The union is us, the union is you! 
Come help chart CFU’s path to victory
Planning Assembly, Sep. 15 noon!

The start of the fall semester is always a time for new beginnings—new classes, new students, new colleagues. Of course, our union effort is not new, nor are the reasons we’ve been working so hard for recognition and an election—issues of pay, stable contracts, transparency, the need to feel like respected scholars and professionals rather than easily replaced parts in a machine that churns out graduates. These motivations and more keep us grinding forward.

No, our unionizing campaign is not new, but we are at a new point in the climb. Our public strength and the work of contract faculty like you have brought us to negotiations with NYU’s lawyers about a fair process to recognize our union. One major point of disagreement is that the administration wants to exclude from the union many faculty who take on extra service roles; we are fighting to give the protections of a union contract to as many contract faculty as possible. To make further progress in these negotiations, we need to grow our collective voice to an undeniable volume and continue to respond quickly and forcefully in the coming months.

One step in growing bigger and more connected is to increase the number of people who make decisions in our union through Planning Assemblies. We held our first one during the low ebb of summer on August 9th. Our second Planning Assembly will be this Friday, Sep 15th 12:00 pm on Zoom and we need you there!

Paradoxically, I’m already including you in that “we.” You became part of that “we” when you said “Count me in!” — when you stepped up as a supporter, signed a card or a petition or simply let us know you want to be part of this movement. Come to the Planning Assembly for a status report on where we are, how we’ve gotten so far — and to weigh in to shape those plans.

We’re at the beginning of the big push. Please be a part of it — act on the commitment you made when you said “count me in.” Come to the Assembly and help us  secure a strong union, a successful election, and a contract that will lift all of us. Continue to do the outward-facing demonstrations of union solidarity and determination. As Elisabeth Fay urged us to do in last week’s email,

“Wear our CFU buttons and display our CFU posters on office doors and department bulletin boards. Winning a fair election agreement (and a union election) will be easier if we all get into the habit of being visibly and vocally supportive. Let’s make pro-union sentiment the norm on NYU’s campus!”

Need a poster or a button? Click here to get stocked up for fall semester!

We are the union! Join us at the Planning Assembly on Friday!

In Solidarity,

Johann Jaeckel
Clinical Associate Professor
Economics, Liberal Studies