Dear Governor Walker, State Legislators and Citizens of Wisconsin,

As scholars, teachers and citizens, we recognize that the right to form unions and bargain collectively has been essential to the establishment and enrichment of democracy in Wisconsin, in the United States and around the world. The International Labor Organization, which the United States joined in 1934, states that “the right of workers and employers to form and join organizations of their own choosing is an integral part of a free and open society” and includes collective bargaining rights among the four “fundamental principles and rights at work.” The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United States endorsed in 1948, states that all workers have the “right to form and to join trade unions for the protection” of their interests.

Since 1935, it has been federal policy in the United States to “encourage collective bargaining” as a tool for avoiding labor conflict and improving wages and working conditions in private industry. The state of Wisconsin led the

way in extending those principles to the public sector, adopting a 1959 law stating that public employees, elected officials and the public itself all have an interest in “industrial peace, regular and adequate income for the employee, and uninterrupted production of goods and services.” Toward that end, the law affirmed that “an employee has the right, if the employee desires, to associate with others in organizing and bargaining collectively through representatives of the employee’s own choosing, without intimidation or coercion from any source.”

We are concerned, therefore, about the governor’s proposal to deprive public employees of the right to bargain collectively in Wisconsin. Collective bargaining has been critical to providing decent standards of living to millions of Americans, playing a central role in the creation of this nation’s large middle class. Unions have also been crucial vehicles for democracy, giving workers a voice in their places of employment and in society as a whole. Curtailing workers’ ability to form unions and to bargain collectively can only diminish the economic and political benefits that the practice has brought to our state.

As UW faculty, we are particularly concerned about the impact that this proposal would have on staff and graduate assistants, upon whom we rely for crucial support as we conduct our research and teach our courses. Staff is the organizational infrastructure of the university. They create communication structures, advise students, schedule classes and rooms, orchestrate information and computing technology, manage budgets and finances and myriad other essential tasks – at wages already lower than they would receive in the private sector.

Graduate assistants teach 85% of the discussion sections and 17% of the lectures at UW Madison, while staffing 46% of the research labs. Their wages and benefits are already very low, and any additional cuts will have detrimental effects on their efficiency and morale, as well as their health and well-being. Such cuts will also make it very difficult for us to recruit the high-quality staff and graduate students that have helped make UW Madison a leading research university in the United States and internationally. From there it is a short step to losing out in the competition for federal research dollars, through which UW currently injects nearly $1 billion into the state’s economy each year.

We recognize that the state faces a severe budget shortfall. We have already taken wage and benefits cuts to help address that problem and expect to make more sacrifices in the future. But eliminating collective bargaining will not address this shortfall. We urge you not to allow this crisis to undermine our state’s strong traditions of democracy and human rights.

Signed by the University Committee, the executive committee of the Faculty Senate, and 332 members of the UW faculty.

2. Anne Enke, Gender and Women’s Studies and History

3. Nan Enstad, History

4. Christina Ewig, Gender and Women’s Studies and Political Science

5. Camille Guerin-Gonzales, History and Chicano and Latino Studies

6. Susan L. Johnson, History

7. William P. Jones, History

8. Stephen Kantrowitz, History

9. Tony Michels, History and Jewish Studies

10. Brenda Gayle Plummer, History and Afro American Studies

11. Mary Louise Roberts, History

12. Suzanne Desan, History

13. Christina Greene, Afro American Studies

14. Gay Seidman, Sociology

15. Susan Zaeske, Communication Arts

16. Sara McKinnon, Communication Arts

17. Karma Chavez, Communication Arts

18. Robert Glenn Howard, Communication Arts

19. Kelly Conway, Communication Arts

20. Catalina Toma, Communication Arts

21. Zhongdang Pan, Communication Arts

22. Jenell Johnson, Communication Arts

23. Lewis A. Friedland, Journalism and Mass Communication

24. Myra Marx Ferree, Sociology

25. Pam Herd, Sociology

26. Sandra Adell, Afro American Studies

27. Pamela Oliver, Sociology

28. Katherine Curtin, Community and Environmental Sociology

29. Julie D’Acci, Gender and Women’s Studies

30. Eunjung Kim, Gender and Women’s Studies

31. Pernille Ipsen, Gender and Women’s Studies

32. Keisha Lindsay, Gender and Women’s Studies

33. Jess Gilbert, Community and Environmental Sociology

34. Rudy Koshar, History, German and Religious Studies

35. Mike Bell, Community and Environmental Sociology

36. Mariana Pacheco, Curriculum and Instruction

37. Laird Boswell, History

38. Sandy Maga?a, Chicano & Latino Studies and Social Work

39. Russ Castronovo, English

40. Jane Collins, Community & Environmental Sociology

41. William Cronon

42. Ben Marquez, Chicano and Latino Studies and Political Science

43. Eric Raimy, English

44. Aida Hussen, English

45. Alan Sidelle, Philosophy

46. Richard F Young, Department of English

47. Henry Southgate, Philosophy

48. Paula Gottlieb, Philosophy and Classics

49. Cecilia E. Ford, English and Sociology

50. Robert Streiffer, Medical History and Bioethics; Philosophy

51. Russ Shafer-Landau, Professor of Philosophy

52. Kathleen Bartzen Culver, Journalism and Mass Communication

53. Daniel M. Hausman, Philosophy

54. Sara Guyer, English

55. Helen M. Kinsella, Political Science

56. Jim Anderson, Philosophy

57. Michael Titelbaum, Philosophy

58. Harry Brighouse, Philosophy and Education Policy Studies

59. Greg Downey, Journalism & Mass Communication / Library & Information Studies

60. Jimmy Casas Klausen, Poltiical Science

61. Jon McKenzie, English

62. Francisco A. Scarano, History

63. James H. Sweet, History

64. Heinz Klug, School of Law

65. Steve Ridgely, East Asian Languages and Literature

66. John Williams, Geography

67. Anne McClintock, English and Gender and Women’s Studies

68. Mary N. Layoun, Comparative Literature

69. Rob Nixon, English

70. Heidi-Lynn Ploeg, Mechanical Engineering

71. W. John Kao, Pharmacy, Surgery and Biomedical Engineering

72. Shawnika J. Hull, School of Journalism & Mass Communication

73. Andy Sheinis, Astronomy

74. Donald R. Davis, Jr., Languages & Cultures of Asia, Religious Studies

75. Adam L. Kern, East Asian Languages & Literature

76. Ajay K. Sethi, Population Health Sciences

77. Michael H. Coen, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

78. Nicole Huang, East Asian Languages and Literature

79. Gregg Mitman, Medical History and Bioethics/History of Science

80. Teju Olaniyan, African Languages and Literature & English

81. Noah Feinstein, Curriculum and Instruction

82. Tonya L. Brito, Law School

83. Deborah Blum, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

84. Maria Lepowsky, Anthropology and of Gender and Women’s Studies

85. Pilar N. Ossorio, Law and Bioethics

86. Steven Nadler, Philosophy

87. Craig Werner, Afro-American Studies

88. Christopher Livanos, Comparative Literature

89. Thomas A. DuBois, Scandinavian Studies

90. Claire Wendland, Anthropology

91. Edward Friedman, Political Science

92. Elizabeth Mertz, Law School

93. Anne Hansen, Languages & Cultures of Asia

94. Anne Vila, French and Italian

95. Fran Hirsch, History

96. Leonora Neville, History

97. William J. Reese, History

98. Jim Leary, Folklore, Scandinavian Studies, Cntr for Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures

99. Jo Scheder, Human Development & Family Studies

100. Young Mie Kim, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

101. Mary Beltr?n, Communication Arts & Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies

102. Alexandra Huneeus, Law and Legal Studies

103. Julia Murray, Art History

104. Tomislav Z. Longinovic, Slavic and Comparative Literature

105. Nancy Rose Marshall, Art History

106. Aili Tripp, Political Science and Gender & Women’s Studies

107. Judith W. Leavitt, Medical History and Gender and Women’s Studies

108. Ellen Samuels, English and Gender and Women’s Studies

109. Pamela Kreeger, Biomedical Engineering

110. Nicholas Cahill, Art History and Classics

111. Patti Brennan, Nursing/Industrial Engineering

112. Susannah Camic, Law School

113. Alan Jay Weisbard, Law School

114. Marianne Bloch, Curriculum and Instruction

115. Eric Schatzberg, History of Science

116. Gloria Ladson-Billings, Curriculum & Instruction

117. Julie Mitchell, Mathematics and Biochemistry

118. Theresa M. Kelley, English

119. Joe Dennis, History

120. Jan Miernowski, French and Italian

121. Mitch, Law School

122. Alison Brooks, Orthopedics

123. Victor Goldgel-Carballo, Spanish and Portuguese

124. Guillermina De Ferrari, Spanish and Portuguese

125. Susan Bernstein, English

126. Cindy Cheng, History

127. Judy Houck, History of Medicine

128. Lynn Nyhart, History of Science

129. Timothy Yu, English

130. Felix Elwert, Sociology

131. Michael Witmore, English

132. R. Wallace, English

133. Judith Mitchell, English

134. Robert Glenn Howard, Communication Arts

135. Caroline Levine, English

136. Neil Kodesh, History

137. Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, History

138. Richard Staley, History of Science

139. Mara Loveman, Sociology

140. Chad Alan Goldberg, Sociology

141. Kelly Conway, Communication Arts

142. Lynet Uttal, Human Dev and Family Studies, Asian Am, CLS, GWS

143. Sabine Gruffat, Communication Arts

144. Simone A. Schwaber, Curriculum and Instruction

145. Diana Hess, Curriculum and Instruction

146. Mario Ortiz Robles, English

147. Patricia Rosenmeyer, Classics

148. Cecilia E. Ford, English and Sociology

149. Lauren Kroiz, Art History

150. Susan E. Babcock, Materials Science and Engineering

151. Jordan Zweck, English

152. Michael H. Shank, History of Science and Integrated Liberal Studies

153. Martine Debaisieux, French and Italian

154. Chuck Kalish, Educational Psychology

155. Erik Olin Wright, Sociology

156. Henry Drewal, Art History and Afro-American Studies

157. Chaeyoon Lim, Sociology

158. Ellen Rafferty, Languages and Cultures of Asia

159. Rajiv Rao, Spanish & Portuguese

160. Michael Bernard-Donals, English

161. Ronald L. Troxel, Hebrew and Semitic Studies

162. Lydia Zepeda, Consumer Science

163. Lisa H. Cooper, English

164. Carolyn Kallenborn, Design Studies

165. Paola Hern?ndez, Spanish and Portuguese

166. Aliko Songolo, French & Italian, African Languages & Literature

167. Cathy Stafford, Spanish and Portuguese.

168. Dhavan V. Shah, Journalism and Mass Communication

169. Steven Hutchinson, Spanish & Portuguese

170. Florence Vatan, French and Italian

171. Pablo Ancos, Spanish and Portuguese

172. Nilesh Patel, Law School

173. Kristyn Masters, Biomedical Engineering

174. Diane Lauver, School of Nursing

175. Kathryn Sanchez, Spanish and Portuguese

176. William C. Whitford, Emeritus Professor of Law

177. Sana Aiyar, History

178. Jill H. Casid, Art History

179. Ann Smart Martin, Art History

180. Ernesto Livorni, French and Italian

181. Judith Harackiewicz, Psychology

182. Rachel F. Brenner, Hebrew and Semitic Studies

183. Marsha M. Mansfield, Law School

184. Diana Frantzen, Spanish & Portuguese

185. Karyn Riddle, School of Journalism & Mass Communication

186. Kenneth M. George, Anthropology

187. John DeLamater, Sociology

188. Daniel Kleinman, Community and Environmental Sociology

189. Doug Maynard, Sociology

190. Sharon E. Hutchinson, Anthropology

191. Melanie Frances Manion, Science and Public Affairs

192. Scott Gehlbach, Political Science

193. Sida Liu, Sociology

194. Florence Bernault, History

195. Lewis Leavitt, Pediatrics

196. Ted Gerber, Sociology, Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia

197. Thomas A. DiPrete, Sociology

198. Sarah Thal, History

199. Katherine Cramer Walsh, Political Science

200. Jonathan Gray, Communication Arts

201. Laura Senier, Community & Environmental Sociology and Family Medicine

202. Leslie Bow, English and Asian American Studies

203. Gary Green, Community & Environmental Sociology

204. Jack Kloppenburg, Community and Environmental Sociology

205. Doug Maynard, Sociology

206. John DeLamater, Sociology

207. David Loewenstein, English, Center for Early Modern Studies

208. Marie-Louise Mares, Communication Arts

209. R. Anderson Sutton, School of Music

210. Richard A. Monette, Law School

211. Margarita Zamora, Professor of Spanish

212. Anders Carlson, Geoscience, Center for Climatic Research

213. Kristin Phillips-Court, French and Italian

214. Mariamne Whatley, Gender & Women’s Studies

215. Nancy Worcester, Gender & Women’s Studies

216. Bill Brown, Communication Arts

217. Harold Scheub, African Languages and Literature

218. Michael Peterson, Theatre and Drama

219. Barbara C. Buenger, Art History

220. Leann M. Tigges, Community and Environmental Sociology

221. Philip Hollander Hebrew & Semitic Studies and Jewish Studies

222. Laurie Beth Clark, Art

223. Lea Jacobs, Communication Arts

224. Christine Garlough, Gender and Women’s Studies

225. Steven Winspur, French

226. N?vine El Nossery, French and Italian

227. Ruth Robarts, Law School

228. Christine M. Seroogy, Pediatrics

229. Ellen W. Sapega, Spanish & Portuguese

230. Francis Schrag, Educational Policy Studies

231. Ullrich Langer, French & Italian

232. Lalita du Perron, Center for South Asia

233. Rania Huntington, East Asian Languages and Literature

234. Peter Timbie, Physics

235. Chris Jones, Religious Studies

236. Frank Salomon, Anthropology

237. Neil Whitehead, Anthropology

238. Charles L. Cohen, History and Religious Studies

239. Manon van de Water, Theatre and Drama

240. Thomas J. D. Armbrecht, French & Italian

241. Robert M. Hauser, Sociology

242. Sandra Ward, School of Nursing

243. Scott Straus

244. Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Anthropology

245. Colleen Dunlavy, History

246. Ronald Radano, Musicology and Ethnomusicology

247. Yoram Shenker, Internal Medicine

248. Caitilyn Allen, Plant Pathology

249. Lisa Martin, Political Science

250. Joseph Thome, Law School

251. Sabine Gross, German

252. Lu?s Madureira, Spanish and Portuguese

253. Ron Serlin, Educational Psychology

254. Katherine A. Bowie, Anthropology

255. Marc Silberman, German

256. Quitman E. Phillips, Art Hist., Religious Studies, E. Asian Studies

257. Robert J. Bickner, Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia

258. Michael Connors, Art

259. Robert Asen, Communication Arts

260. Katherine Pratt Ewing, Department of Anthropology

261. William J. Reese, History

262. Preeti Chopra, Languages & Cultures of Asia, Design Studies

263. Kate Corby, Dance

264. Laura McClure, Classics

265. Joan Fujimura, Sociology

266. Alex Dressler, Classics

267. Susan E. Babcock, Material Science and Engineering

268. Brad Barham, Agricultural and Applied Economics

269. Judith Burstyn, Chemistry

270. Gail Geiger, Art History

271. Peter Lipton, Physiology

272. Ann Palmenberg, Biochemistry

273. Michael Schatzberg, Department of Political Science

274. Shannon Sparks, Human Development & Family Studies, American Indian Studies

275. Zhongdang Pan, Communication Art

276. Kirin Narayan, Anthropology

277. Beverly Gordon, Design Studies

278. Andre Wink, History

279. Frances Myers, Art

280. Monica Grant, Sociology

281. Stephen Hilyard, Art

282. Johann Sommerville, History

283. Jane Allyn Piliavin, Sociology

284. Robert F. Freeland, Sociology

285. Jill Harrison, Community & Environmental Sociology

286. Laura McClure, Classics

287. Joan Fujimura, Sociology

288. David Danaher, Slavic Languages

289. Kenneth R. Mayer, Political Science

290. Nancy Langston, Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Nelson institute, History

291. Jean-Luc Thiffeault, Mathematics

292. Rebeccah Katzenberger, Cellular and Regenerative Biology

293. Robert B. Howell, German

294. Tracy A. Schroepfer, Social Work

295. Nam C. Kim, Anthropology

296. David Beebe, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research

297. Thomas Mitchell, Law School

298. Mustafa Emirbayer, Sociology

299. Barry Burden, Political Science

300. Katherine Bowie, Anthropology

301. Judith Harackiewicz, Psychology

302. Jan Greenberg, Social Work

303. Matthew Turner, Geography

304. Mark L. Louden, German

305. Ray Vanderby, Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedics & Rehabilitation

306. Christina Hull, Department of Biomolecular Chemistry

307. Mike Graham, Chemical and Biological Engineering

308. Gail Simpson, Art

309. Aris Georgiades, Art

310. Erlin Barnard, Languages and Cultures of Asia

311. David L. Weimer, Political Science

312. Dick Ringer, English and Scandanavian Studies

313. Steve Feren, Art

314. Ivan Ermakoff, Sociology

315. Patricia Flatley Brennan, Nursing, Engineering, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

316. Dayle B. DeLancey, Medical History and Bioethics, History of Science

317. Audrey Tluczek, Nursing

318. Kristine Kwekkeboom, Nursing

319. Forence Hsia, History of Science

320. Susan K. Riesch, Nursing

321. Mary Ellen Murray, Nursing

322. Mary Trotter, Theater and Drama

323. Roseanne Clark, Psychiatry

324. Susan Zahner, Nursing

325. Lee Palmer Wandel, History

326. Richard M. Pauli, Pediatrics

327. Steve Bauman, Mathematics

328. Sissel Schroeder, Anthropology

329. Guillermina De Ferrari, Spanish and Portuguese

330. Barry Orton, Professional Development & Applied Studies

331. Susan M. Heidrich, Nursing

332. Thongchai Winichakul, History

333. Cora Lee Kluge, Professor, German