We began as a diverse group of non-tenure track contingent faculty across Tulane’s schools of Liberal Arts, Science and Engineering, Architecture, Professional Advancement, and Business, who dedicate our time, talent, and energy to build the strength of Tulane University. In 2025, we were joined by the librarians and archivists of Tulane University Libraries, the Newcomb Archives, and the Law Library. We are committed to growing the power of organized workers across the university and the greater New Orleans region.
Nearly every undergraduate student’s experience is shaped by interactions with contingent workers at Tulane – including faculty members, librarians, clerical staff, facilities, and administration – both inside and outside of the classroom. We teach a broad range of classes across the university, including the core curriculum, required classes for majors, and service learning classes. We support students’ intellectual, professional, and emotional growth as both teachers and mentors. We enrich university life by elevating the research profile of the university, bringing in numerous grants, supporting extracurricular activities, and performing administrative duties.
Yet our treatment at Tulane often does not match the value we bring to the university, a discrepancy that catalyzed the formation of Tulane Workers United. We are underpaid and undervalued, and disenfranchised at almost every level of shared governance. Many of us hold precarious positions where job renewal is uncertain and promotion is nonexistent or subject to the whims of university administrators. Despite the value we bring to the university and to our students, we are given little say, if any, in shaping our own working conditions and, therefore, the learning conditions of our students.
Our union is committed to working, as recognized partners, with the Tulane Administration to build an organization and a movement that truly fulfills Tulane’s mission and lives out its core values. Together, we will work to make Tulane a better place for faculty, students, and staff.