UICUF Mutual Aid Fund
Donation protected
Dear Colleagues,
As we return to our classes, some will not be coming back to UIC this year due to budget tightening. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many non-tenure track faculty, including an estimated 80-100 UICUF union members, have been laid off by the university or had their contracts non-renewed. They are moving into the worst academic job market in modern history. Some are the sole earner in their household. Many need assistance with this transition period. For our colleagues who lost their livelihoods this summer, this is an EMERGENCY. This is the time for the rest of us in the union to extend a helping hand.
To that end, the Union has authorized an Emergency Mutual Aid Fund to help laid off union members weather short-term financial emergencies. We have already paid out more than $15,000 to former colleagues in need over the summer, and we anticipate more applications from those whose contracts ended this month.
We are asking faculty to pitch in with modest contributions amounting for most of us to only a small share of the raises we anticipate for the current academic year. This fund is administered by volunteers, and 100% of the funds raised, (excepting the 2.9% service fee charged by GoFundMe for those using this method) will be distributed directly to union members experiencing financial hardships. Donations can be made anonymously through GoFundMe if desired.
Here are suggested contributions:
Academic Rank: Amount:
Non-Tenure Track $50
Tenure Track Assistant Professor $100
Tenured Associate Professor $150
Tenured Full Professor $250
Of course, any amounts, big or small, will be appreciated by those eligible for aid. The amount we raise determines the amount we can help. Non-renewed faculty get no university pay after August 15.
As we return to our classes, some will not be coming back to UIC this year due to budget tightening. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many non-tenure track faculty, including an estimated 80-100 UICUF union members, have been laid off by the university or had their contracts non-renewed. They are moving into the worst academic job market in modern history. Some are the sole earner in their household. Many need assistance with this transition period. For our colleagues who lost their livelihoods this summer, this is an EMERGENCY. This is the time for the rest of us in the union to extend a helping hand.
To that end, the Union has authorized an Emergency Mutual Aid Fund to help laid off union members weather short-term financial emergencies. We have already paid out more than $15,000 to former colleagues in need over the summer, and we anticipate more applications from those whose contracts ended this month.
We are asking faculty to pitch in with modest contributions amounting for most of us to only a small share of the raises we anticipate for the current academic year. This fund is administered by volunteers, and 100% of the funds raised, (excepting the 2.9% service fee charged by GoFundMe for those using this method) will be distributed directly to union members experiencing financial hardships. Donations can be made anonymously through GoFundMe if desired.
Here are suggested contributions:
Academic Rank: Amount:
Non-Tenure Track $50
Tenure Track Assistant Professor $100
Tenured Associate Professor $150
Tenured Full Professor $250
Of course, any amounts, big or small, will be appreciated by those eligible for aid. The amount we raise determines the amount we can help. Non-renewed faculty get no university pay after August 15.
Organizer
Barbara Di Eugenio
Organizer
Oak Park, IL
