Dear Colleagues,

This difficult time has further affirmed that having a union and having a say in our working conditions is critical to decrease the uncertainty and stress that staff at AU are currently experiencing and have experienced for a long time. In the midst of the COVID-19 global health crisis, the issues we deal with daily are increasing and compounding. We have a choice. We can sit back and hope AU makes the right decisions, or we can unite together to make sure our voices are heard. We ask that you join us in holding AU accountable to the following principles by signing onto this letter today!

A Union for all AU workers

We need the power to negotiate with our administration to ensure our colleagues who remain on campus are safe and those working remotely have the proper tools and support to do their jobs. We believe that every AU worker deserves a union and that AU must protect all workers on campus. We need a say in what our working conditions look like. This institution will be stronger when we have a seat at the table.

Job Security

We are essential to the fundamental mission of the university and without us there is no AU. Even before this pandemic, AU staff faced high turnover and understaffing, many of us doing additional work outside of our official roles. Layoffs or furloughs on top of a hiring freeze would push this already untenable situation over the edge.

PPE and Campus Safety

We need appropriate PPE for all campus workers now and going forward. We need clean workspaces and facilities. We need teleworking to remain an option for all staff who wish to work from home in order to protect themselves and their families. We need to be part of this critical decision-making process in order to ensure absolute transparency with regards to AU’s reopening strategy.

Fair and Compassionate Work Leave

This difficult time has made it essential that fair and compassionate leave be ensured to all staff. We need additional sick leave to cover the impact of this unprecedented pandemic. We need the ability to roll over unused paid time off.

Transparency and Communication

We know there are many unknowns at this time, but what we do know is that our campus will be safer and stronger when we are included in critical decisions about the future. We need to have a say when it comes to AU’s redeployment plan, merit increases, compensation for additional work, campus safety, salary and benefits, and any plans related to university-wide cost-saving measures. True transparency and communication comes from staff having a seat at the table.

This is the time where we must be united; more than ever before. We cannot have just a select few administrators making important decisions about our safety and our livelihoods. It should not have been that way before and it cannot be that way now.

By coming together as a union, we will have the power to ensure our concerns will be taken seriously and our needs met so we can safely and effectively uphold the mission of this university. We ask you to stand with us and join the movement to make things the best they can be for AU staff and the entire campus community. Join us by signing onto this letter today!

In solidarity,

Aubrey Hill
Michele Mazzocchetti
Leila Hernandez
Julie Coe
Amanda Kleinman
Mirjam Pearlstein
Sam Sadow
Linda Golden
Alex Clayton
Ian Poquet
Robert SanGeorge
Tara Barnett
Charlene Ploetz
Calvin Elison
Christina Floriza
Geoff Turner
Felicia Parks
Charley Fogel
Britten Rollo
Megan Ward
Hannah Pierson-Compeau
George Reese
Austin Arminio
Alexia Hyde
Hung Tran
Ryan Cassidy
Louise Gretschel
Sharena Payne
Kelsey  Boyd
Amanda Steadman
Nicolas Mansour
Marie Spaulding
Ethan Goss-Alexander
Emily Lelandais
Elise Goss-Alexander
Christopher Slaughter
Amanda Elias
Isabelle Grey
Katie Hoag
Carmen Morales
Lura Graham
Julia Moroles
Darnise Samuel
Michael Burgtorf
Nikki Dean
Rachel Feinstein
Amanda Getz
Lauren Manier
Matthew Stifter
Jessica Chapman
Alex Mackintosh
Daniel Prengel
Lam-Anh Le
Ian Grace
Leah Brennan
Kimberly Trocha
Brooke Olsen
Julia Murray
Roshan Abraham
Ben Wall
Nicole Cox
Josie Horenstein
Emily Aronoff
Waseem AbuRakia-Einhorn
Garric Buzzard
Dylan Singleton
Ashley Dorsey
Robin Salomon
Pattie Umali
George Koors
Madaleine Laird
Courtney Stoner
Ashley Barnes
Lori Felton
John Charles
Milagro Ventura
Brittany Ginder
Rose Chou
Arthur Stallworth
Kyle Whitaker
Alexander Breiding
Kayden Kassof
Dawn Fairbanks
Derrick Taylor
Delaney Ward
Matt Collinson
Kelsey Wali
Asha Coutrier
Michelle Swiger
Esther Philip
Aja Simpson Zulfiqar
Amanda Dowd
Camille Clark
Rachel Brown
Darien Smith
Lillian Tuttle
Phil Salvador
Tacy Lambiase
Meg Biser
David Kaib
Mark Fritts
Samuel Horsch
Christina Palmer
Mike Janssen
Alec Wood
Denise Watkins-Johnson
Rebekeh Smith
Stephanie Bortruex
Paige Kline
Jennifer Breaux
Tim Platt
Derek Hewlett
India Pasiuk
Geneva Walker
Donna Femenella
Dawn McAvoy
Rachael Hilderbrand
Michelle Eller