From our colleagues at Art Institute of Chicago Workers United (AICWU):
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has increasingly relied on the underpaid, under-recognized labor of Non-Tenure-Track (NTT) faculty to educate future artists, architects, designers, scholars, and historians. We’ve watched as inflation has devoured our paychecks, while tuition has risen; currently, more than 300 faculty teach multiple courses without benefits (including health insurance).
In December 2022, 400+ SAIC NTT faculty unionized with AFSCME Council 31 to join our School Staff and Museum Colleagues in forming Art Institute of Chicago Workers United. For nearly two years, we have been bargaining for a fair contract, but upper administration has refused to come to the table with anything more than pre-Covid wages and policies.
By launching this strike fund, we are asking for donations to support our members who teach nearly 80 percent of all SAIC courses, mentor our students, perform academic and institutional service, and are vital members of our community. Your donation will go directly to wages and/or benefits stripped from faculty during the strike. This is enormously helpful in extending our ability to strike as long as needed to get the best contract we can.