Background

We, the eligible staff of the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN), announced on Monday, June 29th that a supermajority of staff have signed cards to form a union and authorized the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) IFPTE Local 70 to be our representative. To our great disappointment, SSN leadership have declined to recognize our union voluntarily, missing our stated deadline to do so. Therefore, we are calling on our network of scholar members, other organizational stakeholders, and our former staff to sign a letter in support of our fight for a more democratic workplace.

SSN management’s decision not to recognize our union means that they plan to drag out the process by sending it on to the National Labor Relations Board, making us reconfirm our votes in spite of our established supermajority. This would be the first time in NPEU’s over 20 year history that a nonprofit workplace organizing with their representation would not be voluntarily recognized by management. Your support for the below letter will help us convince SSN’s leadership that it’s time to stop delaying the inevitable and recognize the Scholars Strategy Network Union. Thank you for your support! And follow our union on Twitter @SSN_union

To: Scholars Strategy Network Management & Steering Committee,

We, the undersigned SSN members, civic and community leaders, and former SSN employees call on the Scholars Strategy Network leadership to recognize the union recently formed by a supermajority of SSN’s eligible employees. We believe in the organization’s mission and vision, and hope to see SSN continue to grow and thrive for many years to come. We believe a union for SSN employees will help accomplish these goals and we urge you to voluntarily recognize the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union as the representative of SSN’s eligible employees.

While working to strengthen democracy across the country, it is justifiable and admirable that SSN employees should endeavor to make their own workplace more democratic. A union will allow SSN staff to use their combined years of experience organizing scholars to build a more effective, democratic organization. SSN employees support and expand research-based decision making at every level of government, and so it follows that they should seek the benefits of unionization—which are well-documented in research—for themselves, their future coworkers, and the organization as a whole.

We are confident that this effort will make SSN a stronger and more effective organization. We are grateful for your consideration.

Respectfully,

(Last updated 07/20/20. Updated daily.)

SSN Members

• John Ahlquist, UCSD
• Lissette Aliaga Linares, University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Blake Allan, University of Houston
• Abigail Andrews, UCSD
• Joseph Anthony, SSN Oklahoma
• Eileen Appelbaum, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• Sofya Aptekar, UMass Boston
• David Arditi, University of Texas Arlington
• Theodore Arrington, Univ of NC at Charlotte, emeritus
• Josh Basseches, Northwestern University
• Amanda Bertana, Southern Connecticut state university
• Thomas J Billard, Northwestern University
• Ray Block, The Pennsylvania State University
• Eladio Bobadilla, University of Kentucky
• Heath Brown, CUNY JJC
• Laura Bucci, Saint Joseph's University
• Sayil Camacho, Vanderbilt University
• Devon Cantwell, University of Utah
• Charlotte Cavaille, University of Michigan
• David Cook-MartIn, CU Boulder
• Winifred Curran, DePaul University
• Clare Daniel, Tulane University
• Prentiss Dantzler, Georgia State University
• Jennifer Earl, University of Arizona
• Frank Edwards, Rutgers
• martin edwards, Seton Hall University
• Chris Faricy, Syracuse University / SSN-CNY
• Michèle Foster, University of Louisville
• Daniel Galvin, Northwestern University
• Jessica Garrick, Southern Methodist University
• Mary Gatta, CUNY- Guttman
• Shannon Gleeson, Cornell University, ILR School
• Robert Glover, University of Maine
• Tanya Golash-Boza, UC Merced
• Neil Gong, University of California, San Diego
• Alix Gould-Werth, Washington Center for Equitable Growth
• Eric Grollman, University of Richmond
• Nona Gronert, University of Wisconsin‚ÄìMadison
• Jake Grumbach, University of Washington
• Lee Hannah, Wright State University
• Andrew Hedden, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies
• Natalie Hengstebeck, National Science Foundation
• Julia Henly, University of Chicago
• Matt Huber, Syracuse University
• Savannah Hunter, UC Davis
• Arne Kalleberg, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Tamara Kay, University of Notre Dame
• Kimberly Kelly, Mississippi State University
• David Kimball, University of Missouri-St. Louis
• Katrina Kimport, University of California San Francisco
• Mary King, Portland State University
• Susan Lambert, Univ. of Chicago
• Ryan LaRochelle, University of Maine
• Michael Latner, California Polytechnic State University
• Anna Law, CUNY Brooklyn College
• Ariana Levinson, University of Louisville
• Jana Lipman, Tulane University
• Krystale Littlejohn, University of Oregon
• Erik Loomis, University of Rhode Island
• Lola Loustaunau, University of Oregon
• Nichola Lowe, UNC-Chapel Hill
• Arthur MacEwan, University of Massachusetts Boston
• Daniela Mansbach, University of Wisconsin- Superior
• Vanessa Mari, SSN Nevada
• Isaac Martin, University of California - San Diego
• Sarah Mayorga, Brandeis University
• Joanie Mazelis, Rutgers University-Camden
• Cecilia Menjivar, UCLA
• Thessalia Merivaki, Mississippi State University
• Melissa Michelson, Menlo College
• Ruth Milkman, CUNY
• Sarah Moberg, University of Illinois Chicago
• Katherine Nasol, Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies
• Erin O'Brien, University of Massachusetts
• Stan Oklobdzija, Claremont McKenna College
• Michael Leo Owens, Emory University
• Caitlin Patler, UC Davis
• Mark Paul, New College of Florida
• Leila Pazargadi, Nevada State College
• Andre Perry, The Brookings Institution
• Lara Putnam, University of Pittsburgh
• Grace Reinke, University of Washington
• Keramet Reiter, University of California, Irvine
• Victoria Reyes, University of California, Riverside
• Chris Rhomberg, Fordham University
• Barbara Risman, University of Illinois at Chicago
• David Robertson, University of Missouri - St Louis
• Philip Rocco, Marquette University
• Jake Rosenfeld, Washington University-St. Louis
• Sam Rosenfeld, Colgate University
• Gina Salerno, Open Markets Institute
• Daniel Schlozman, Johns Hopkins University
• Susan Sered, Suffolk University
• Taylor Shelton, Georgia State University (previously at Mississippi State University)
• Priya Shukla, University of California Davis
• Aaron Sojourner, University of Minnesota
• Mahesh Somashekhar, University of Illinois-Chicago
• Joe Soss, University of Minnesota
• Jonathan Spiegler, Michigan State University
• Lina Stepick, SSN, University of Oregon
• Fernando Tormos-Aponte, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Claudia Triana, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Todd Tucker, Johns Hopkins University
• Kim Voss, University of California, Berkeley
• Margath Walker, University of Louisville
• JEANNETTE WICKS-LIM, Political Economy Research Institute, Univ. of Massachusetts-Amherst
• Anthony Williams, UCLA Sociology
• Vanessa Williamson, Brookings Institution
• Charley Willison, Harvard University
• Christopher Witko, Penn State
• Tom K. Wong, UC San Diego
• Youngmin Yi, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Nancy Yuen, Biola University
• Michael Zoorob, Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Science

Former SSN Staff

• Peter Berard, Formerly of SSN
• Dorie Campbell, Northeastern University
• Miranda Cawley, Ceres
• Ciera Dehmand, Department of State
• Kelsie George, University of Denver
• Ana Hidalgo, SSN
• Danielle Kim, United Way of Massachusetts Bay
• Lisa Knichols, Scholars Strategy Network
• Austin Kodra, Fritz AI
• Daniel Lanford, Scholars Strategy Network (previous)
• Andrew Mackay, Scholars Strategy Network
• Kritina Mensik, Common Cause Massachusetts
• Sean Mulkerrin, The Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post
• Sam Neylon, CUNY Graduate Center
• Lola Odesanya, Scholars Strategy Network (previous)
• Shira Rascoe, Scholars Strategy Network (previous)
• Jeffrey Sierra, Boston University
• Kathryn Van Zanen, University of Michigan
• Catherine Willett, Harvard Law School

Staff at Peer Research Organizations

• Sonya Acosta, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Juli Adhikari, CAP
• Farah Ahmad, Jobs to Move America
• Azza Altiraifi, Center for American Progress
• Paige Armstrong, CAP
• Robin Aubry, National Immigration Law Center
• Erik Baker, Harvard University, Dept. of the History of Science
• Vick Baker, Community Change
• Katie Barrows, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
• Carson Bear, Center for American Progress
• Dan Beeton, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• Aaron Bekemeyer, Harvard University
• Jennifer Beltran, CBPP
• Abhilasha Bhola, Jobs to Move America
• Kayla Blado, Economic Policy Institute
• Hayley Brown, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• Kathleen Bryant, CBPP
• Kimberly Capehart, Worker Rights Consortium
• Chase Carter, Jews United for Justice
• Kevin Cashman, Center for Economic and Policy Researc
• Connie Choi, National Immigration Law Center
• Margaret Cooney, Center for American Progress
• Celina Culver, Pennsylvania United
• Katherine Dill, Open Markets Institute
• Christian Edlagan, Washington Center for Equitable Growth
• Will Flagle, The Democracy Collaborative
• Ashley Freiberger, J Street
• Shawn Fremstad, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• Theresa Haas, Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network
• Daniel Hanley, Open Markets Institute
• Carla Hashley, Jews United for Justice
• Heather Henriquez, Groundwork collaborative
• Stephanie Hingtgen, CBPP
• Paula Hubble, CAP
• Paula Hubble, CAP
• Hector Huezo, Jobs to Move America
• Mia Ibarra, Every Texan
• Rami Jackson, Economic Policy Institute
• Garphil Julien, Open Markets
• Claire Kelloway, OPEN MARKETS INSTITUTE
• Teddy Lederer, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Kristian Lundberg, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
• Alicia Mazzara, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Karla Mclean, Community Change
• Joel Michaels, The Tobin Project
• Ethan Miller, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
• Maria Monroe, Washington Center for Equitable Growth
• Max Moran, Revolving Door Project
• Catlin Nchako, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Sarah Newell, Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network
• Darya Nicol, Center for American Progress
• Katie Parker, The Democracy Collaborative
• Daniel Perez, Economic Policy Institute
• Ben Podnar, Center for American Progress
• Amanda Posson, Every Texan (FNA CPPP)
• Margaret Poydock, Economic Policy Institute
• Sarah Rawlins, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• Cristina Rayas, Community Change
• Antanina Ricceri, EPI
• Giovanni Rocco, Washington Center for Equitable Growth
• David Rosnick, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• Inna Rubin, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Sam Rubin, Food & Water Action, NPEU, IFPTE Local 70
• Gina Salerno, Open Markets Institute
• David Schupak, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Justin Schweitzer, Center for American Progress
• Eric Shansby, Economic Policy Institute
• Maya Simpkins, Community Change
• janet smith, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Elizabeth Tang, National Women's Law Center
• Udit Thakur, Open Markets Institute
• Mo-Yain Tham, Jobs to Move America
• Natalie Wahlberg, Jobs to Move America
• Thomas Waldrop, Center for American Progress
• Samantha Waxman, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
• Cecilia Weber, Every Texan
• Katie Windham, CBPP
• Julia Wolfe, Economic Policy Institute
• Elly Wong, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Lauren Worth, The Democracy Collaborative
• Kathryn Zickuhr, Washington Center for Equitable Growth