The open letter below is addressed to the University of Michigan-Regents, UM President Santa Ono, UM-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso, and UM-Flint Interim Chancellor Donna Fry. Please read and sign your name to the letter and show your support for LEO Lecturer Faculty on all three UM campuses.

In 2021, The Lecturers Employee Organization (LEO) saw a HISTORIC WIN during bargaining by earning parity in starting minimum salaries, annual raises, and longevity pay across all three University of Michigan campuses. Since the union formed in 2004, UM admin had insisted on higher pay rates and annual raises for LEOs in Ann Arbor than in Flint and Dearborn and this has resulted in large gaps in median salary rates between the campuses. Long-serving LEO faculty in Flint and Dearborn, doing similar work to their Ann Arbor counterparts, continue to earn significantly lower pay.

Though UM administration AGAIN CLAIMS to have much more to spend on Ann Arbor LEO pay than in Flint and Dearborn, UM is ONE UNIVERSITY and LEO is ONE UNION representing lecturers across all three campuses. A number of other unions with members across UM campuses have parity in pay rates, including many in the skilled trades.

While claiming to have little money to offer LEOs a FAIR share, the Flint and Dearborn Chancellors’ salaries are PAID IN FUNDS FROM ANN ARBOR (including $700k to former Chancellor Dutta when he left UM-Flint). And in 2023, Dearborn Chancellor Grasso EARNED A 22% ($104k) RAISE, moving from $468,000 in 2022, to $572,000 in 2023. Yet admin claims they can only afford a 1.5% annual raise for Flint and Dearborn LEO Faculty–that on top of already very low pay.

UM is one of the wealthiest public universities in the country with a $17 BILLION ENDOWMENT, and was ranked #1 US Public University. In the past decade, UM has operated with $280-$750 MILLION per year in EXCESS CASHFLOWS.

LEO Faculty are professionals and experts in their fields: mentoring students, publishing research, engaging in creative work, chairing disciplinary programs, running businesses, and more. In Flint and Dearborn, LEO Faculty teach 67% of 1st & 2nd year student credit hours (SCHs), 51% of total undergrad SCHs, and many graduate classes.

Currently, the LEO MEDIAN FULL TIME SALARY RATES across campuses are:

$70,741 in Ann Arbor

$58,577 in Flint

$57,915 in Dearborn

There are four ranks of LEO faculty: LI, LII, LIII, LIV. A large majority (58%) of all LEOs are LI or LII, many of whom have been teaching on a UM campus for 10, 15, 20+ years, while only 18% are LIVs.

In bargaining with UM Administration, LEO’s salary proposal includes multiple parts to equitably increase pay for new and long-serving Lecturers. Our proposals are the same for ALL LEO FACULTY regardless of campus:

• Increased minimum starting salaries

• Minimum higher salary rates for Lecturers who have passed Major Reviews

• Necessary annual raises for each year of the 3-yr contract to offset inflation

• Longevity pay for those with 10 years or more of service, to counterbalance wage compression and/or stagnation, starting in the 11th year and every five years thereafter These increases, for long-serving LEOs especially, will also help reduce “leapfrogging” in cases where recently hired lecturers earn major review raises on higher starting pay than those who began years ago at very low pay rates.

LEO is made up of members who volunteer countless hours to plan, negotiate, and fight for a contract that helps ALL LEO FACULTY survive and thrive DOING THE TEACHING WORK WE LOVE TO DO. And WE CALL ON CHANCELLORS FRY AND GRASSO TO REQUEST FUNDING FROM UM CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION TO COVER COSTS OF EQUITABLE, PROFESSIONAL SALARIES FOR LEO FACULTY. UM can afford to pay ALL LEO FACULTY a FAIR SHARE because LEO WORKING CONDITIONS are students’ LEARNING CONDITIONS.

Signed:

Ryan McCarty Lec I Ann Arbor

Carl Lavigne, Lecturer, Ann Arbor

Ashley Lucas, Professor at U of M Ann Arbor

Kitty Geoghan | GSI, Ann Arbor

Phil Christman

Kelly Elizabeth Allen, Lecturer II, Ann Arbor

Arro Mandell, Ann Arbor Campus, HZWP Fellow

Alaina Perez, UM Ann Arbor, GSI

Michaela Kotziers, Ann Arbor, GSI

Madeline Hennessey, PhD student, Ann Arbor campus

Lauren Rudewicz, PhD Candidate, English Lang & Lit

Seanie Civale, MFA, Intermittent Lecturer

Kayla Grant, University Partnerships Manager at the Ginsberg Center

Thomas Walker, Ann Arbor, Lecturer I

Cody Walker, Ann Arbor, Teaching Professor

Ariel Kaplowitz Hahn

Jimmy Brancho, LEO Lecturer IV

David Zeglen

Andrew "AndyT" Thompson, Lecturer II, Ann Arbor Campus

Antoine Traisnel, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Walter Cohen

Dr. Megan Garver Carlson, Ann Arbor

Louis Cicciarelli, Lecturer, Ann Arbor

William DeGenaro (Professor, LCA Department, Dearborn)

Emily Luxon, Associate Professor of Political Science, UM-Dearborn

Adam Sekuler, U- Mich Dearborn, Assistant Professor

Paul Draus, Professor of Sociology, UM-Dearborn

Dr. Maya Barak, Associate Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, UM-D

Jason Sprague, LEO Lecturer II in Dearborn

Liz Rohan, Professor Composition and Rhetoric, Dearborn

Daniel Weaver, GSI Ann Arbor

Lara Rusch, Associate Professor, UM-Dearborn

Prof. Mike MacDonald, Associate Prof of Composition and Rhetoric

Linda Huber, PhD Candidate

Charles Song, Master's Student at SEAS and School of Information, Ann Arbor

Stephanie Moody, Lecturer II Ann Arbor

Ashley DaDalt, Lecturer III

Susan Theresa Gavell

Sara Smith, Dearborn, Composition and Rhetoric LEO Lec II

Aaron Abkemeier, Statistics PhD Student

Nico Juarez, GEO President

Alicia Schaeffer

P.F. Potvin, UM-Dearborn, Lecturer IV

SN Yeager, Ann Arbor PhD Candidate

Nizar Ezroura, PhD, Ann Arbor

Patricia Hartshorn Lec IV Natural Sciences

Derek Cebrián, Classics PhD Student, Ann Arbor

Fred Feng, Assistant Professor, UM-Dearborn

Madeleine Aquilina

Francesca Lameiro, UMSI PhD Student

Prayag Chatha, Statistics GSRA (Ann Arbor)

Ariana Haidari

Katherine McDonale PhD Candidate MCDB

Lina Alam

Mimi Wooten, PhD Student

Meera Desai, PhD student, School of Information

Alex Lekander (Ann Arbor)

Michael Mueller (Math Graduate Student Instructor, Ann Arbor)

Hannah Resnick

Laura Lee Clapper, Ann Arbor campus, Lecturer III

Brittany Salazar, GSRA

Ben Wielechowski -- LEC II, Dearborn

Mariya Zilberman, Ann Arbor, Lecturer

Lila Graham

April Conway, Sweetland, Lec IV

David Greenspan, Ann Arbor, lecturer

Kate Giffin, PhD Candidate, UM Ann Arbor

Yilei Zhang, central campus, PhD student

Anna Muller

Gabriel Key, Ann Arbor

Jill Darling, LEO LII Dearborn

Mariam Mehdi

Lyudmila Vaysman, Lecturer II, Chemistry, UM-Dearborn

Christa Ventresca, PhD candidate, University of Michigan

Leah Bernardo-Ciddio, PhD Candidate, UM-Ann Arbor

Ashley Whitmore, LEC II, Dearborn

Bobby Madamanchi (Ann Arbor, Lec III UMSI)

Katarina Keating, PhD Student, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Jing Ci Neo (PhD student, Earth Science)

Elena Lee, PhD student, Ann Arbor campus

Julia Campbell

Laura Napier, Lecturer I, Stamps School of Art & Design, Ann Arbor

Kaitlin Guidarelli (Ann Arbor Spanish Lecturer)

Carmela Romano Gillette

John H Clarke, Lecturer, UM - Ann Arbor

Katie Coleman, L2 Ann Arbor

Jamie L. Wraight, LEC IV. SSCI

Ash Brown, Librarian, Law School

Hannah Ensor (AA, Lecturer I)

John F. Buckley, Lecturer II, English Language & Literature, Ann Arbor

Batoul Abdallah

Tara Lonsdorf

Susan Funkenstein, LII, Ann Arbor

Kaitlin Karmen, PhD Candidate, UM Ann Arbor

Karin Brown, PhD Candidate, Scool of Education, Ann Arbor campus

Craig Regester, Ann Arbor/Lecturer II

Tina ODonnell, LEO Lec I, Ann Arbor

Gillian Cahill White (Ann Arbor Campus)

Justin Joque, Librarian Ann Arbor

Lisa Fein (Ann Arbor/Lec IV)

Ian McClure

Autumm Caines UM-Dearborn. Lead Instructional Designer

Sarah Day Dayon, PhD Candidate

Jason Kosnoski

Claudia Walters

Ryan Hendrickson

Dan Lowe (Lec II, Ann Arbor)

Joseph Musial, PhD

Dale Thomson, Professor, UM-Dearborn

Lauren Gwin, Lecturer I, Ann Arbor Campus

Natalie Fulkerson, Senior Associate Librarian, LEO-GLAM

Kelly Hartwell, GSI

Brittany Hardy, Ann Arbor GSI

Manuella Braga - Dearborn campus/student

Margaret Mikula, Dearborn, Lec IV

Rajeshwari ( Raji) Janakiraman Lec III ( Biology Lab coordinator)

Mark Radosevich, Dearborn, LEO Lecturer IV

David Sobiechowski, Collegate Lecturer II, Dearborn, Social Sciences

Terra Mauer, Dearborn, Lec I

Michelle Proctor

Noor Al-Samarrai, U-M Ann Arbor Graduate Student, Helen Zell Writers' Program

Claudia lennis

Alaina shenton

Arseniy Ilinich

Kaitlyn Tessier

Jenna Badger

Ethan Hassett

Casey Cooper, CASL Student

Drake Taylor

Nevaeh Hilden

Dasha Gangwar

Jena Faraj, College of Education Health and Human Services

Chidozie Nnaji, University Michigan Dearborn

Andrew Jackson Dearborn/ freshman

Michael Keogh LEO Lecturer I

Ashlee Todd

Lydia Swetay, CASL

Nisreen Sharara

Mustafa Alkafaji

Hussein Ollaik

Amber Festian

Ankith Bommisetty

Yesmean Maaita

Colin Mack

Charlice Dawson

Abby Farnum, Student

Logan Kilby

Denayah Myers

Daniel Henderson

Eva Schwark, Undergraduate student at UM-Dearborn

Anisa Abazeed

Jacob Lederman - UM-Flint

Alexa Eisenberg, Ann Arbor, Lecturer, School of Public Health

Darcy L. Brandel, Lecturer II, Ann Arbor

Sheryl Edwards

Thomas A. Foy, Lecturer II Teaching Professor, Dearborn

Michael Bohanon

Sarah Keeler, UMD Alum

Jill Haenfler, UM AA Lec IV

Ange Zaytsev, Sr Associate Librarian, UMich Ann Arbor

Gideon Goodrich, Ann Arbor, Assistant Archivist

Sara Samuel, Associate Librarian, University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Julie Herrada, Ann Arbor campus

Elena Colon-Marrero, Archivist - Ann Arbor campus

David Choberka, Curator for University Learning and Programs, University of Michigan Museum of Art

Kathleen Folger, University Library - Ann Arbor

tal ness, Ann Arbor, Assistant Librarian

Leigh Billings, Ann Arbor

Colleen Wilson-Rood

Racheal Moku-Olu

Meredith Kahn

Theresa Braunschneider, Lec III, Ann Arbor

Isaac Wingfield

Michele Stark, Lec II, UM-Flint

Dominique Butler-Borruat RC Ann Arbor

James Gromak (UMD)

Raya Samet (Dearborn, Associate Librarian)

Patricia Beals - Lecturer II

Tim Smith, Teaching Professor, Aerospace Engineering

Pamela S. H. Bogart, Ann Arbor, Lecturer IV

Kristin Poling, Associate Professor of History, UM-Dearborn

Lorrel Sullivan (Ann Arbor, Lec IV)

Erin Lavin - Intermittent Lec

Steven Else RN

David Else

Chaitanya Madamanchi

Cameron Whalen, Flint Thompson Library

Laurel Billings, PhD Candidate in English & Women's and Gender Studies

Shruti Mishra

Wallace Sui, GSI, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Michaelanne Thomas, Assistant Professor, UM Ann Arbor

Daniel O'Connell Lec II

Lauren Wester-Murphy

Rachael Zuppke

Laura Clapper; Ann Arbor, Lecturer III, Sweetland

Ariel Mallett, UM alumni

Kathryn Berringer, U-M Ann Arbor, PhD Candidate

Jefferson Yarce / Ann Arbor / Lecturer III / Earth and Environmental Sciences

Ian Robinson, Lecturer IV, Ann Arbor Campus

Austin Clifton

Jada Sardin

Eduard Margina

Haille Grajek, Alum of UM-Dearborn

Joseph P Gaughan, Lec II retired.

Kathleen Brown, Doctoral Candidate, U-M Ann Arbor

Rita K. Lee, Admissions Counselor, Stamps School of Art & Design

Tyler Brown

PJ McGabb

Claudia Mak Ann Arbor GSRA

Allen Kendall

Greg Pratt, LMSW Complex Care Management MM

Mackenzie Loftus

Lucy Smith

John Lemelin

Sara Hollingshead, undergraduate student

Kasey Helton

Gretchen Keppel-Aleks, associate professor, College of Engineering

Jared Eno, Graduate Worker, Sociology and Public Policy

Stephanie Moody

April Conway

Trevor Johnson (Alumnus)

Kathy Meyer (Ann Arbor/ LEO Lecturer IV)

Charlotte Karem Albrecht (assoc. prof., UM Ann Arbor)

Amir Fleischmann, Ann Arbor, Political Science, PhD Candidate

Evelyn Smith, UM - Ann Arbor, PhD Candidate

Kentaro Toyama, W. K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information

Aurora Harris -Dearborn

Hussein Nasralah

Madeleine Barkey Lll

Stephanie Brenton, Lecturer III, Ann Arbor, School of Information

John Taylor, UM-Dearborn

Skyler Leslie (UM SEAS, Ann Arbor, MS student)

Colin Garon

Pauline Homsi Vinson, UM-Dearborn LEO I

Nina Naffziger

Juan Emiliano Garcia II

Jayne Ptolemy, Associate Curator of Manuscripts, Clements Library, Ann Arbor Campus

Richard Nelson (student)

Dylan Cohen, Ann Arbor, Undergrad LSA

Leah Bernardo-Ciddio, PhD, University of Michigan Ann ARbor

Daille Held, UM-D Alum

Rachel Woodbrook, U-M Library

Raef Aidibi

Thomas Walker, Ann Arbor, Lecturer I

John Hart

Tiffany Ball, Lec I, Ann Arbor

Laura Eidietis, Teaching Professor, Ann Arbor

Emily Kutil, Lecturer I, Ann Arbor

Ian Kennedy, LEO Lecturer II, University of Michigan-Dearborn

Allie Piippo

Sosy Mishoyan

Tammara Copeland

Roger Butler-Borruat, Lec 2, RLL, Ann Arbor

Elizabeth Svoboda

Sharon Holewinski

Julie Cushman

Larry Wentzel, Digital Conversion Production Managher, U-M Library, Ann Arbor campus

PJ McGann

Ghassan El Zahabi

Pahul Narwal

Alia Jessop

Jacqueline Dziadzio

emily spaulding u of m dearborn

Adriano Fullerton

Alejandra Garcia-Diaz, UM-Dearborn

Shreya Chowdhary

Amir Marshi

Mirza Baig

Aidan Moorehead

Assmaa Eidy

Ethan Woodcox Ann Arbor LSA Undeclared

Allyson Pérez

Kelly Roy Polasek, PhD

Natasha Allen, Ann Arbor Campus, Library Services Platform Specialsit

Lorraine A. Booth, BS, MSN/ED, RN

Geri Rex

Andrea S Coscarelly

Amy Nowakowski

Kaitlin Guidarelli (Ann Arbor)

Abby Kurzman LSA 1988

Julie Herrada

katherine main

Toby Sedgwick

Hunjin Jung (Ann Arbor/Lecture II)

Katherine H Downie

Linda Sorensen, LEO 2

Rodrigo Sandino

Zainab Hakim

Levi Pierpont

Becca Meyer-Rasmussen

Moayad Ekhwan

Nicole Wan

Sophie Dougherty, Ann Arbor Campus,

Ally Langenkamp - Ann Arbor Campus

Parvathi Nagappala

Gina Reichert, Lecturer III, Ann Arbor Campus

Aarushi Ganguly, senior

Ciara Bowers   Flint campus

Stephanie Hicks - Ann Arbor, Lec IV

Anna-Maria Hadbah

Alexander Judge

Portia Juarez

Jennifer Jones

Ian Green

Ann E. Baughman

Melanie Manos

Meredith Kahn, Librarian, Ann Arbor

Melanie Manos

Kelly Allen, Lecturer II, Ann Arbor

Daniel Andrew Birchok, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UM-Flint

Ian Robinson, Lecturer IV, Sociology and Residential College, Ann Arbor

Steven Gentry

Susan Theresa Gavell

Phil Christman, Lecturer II, Ann Arbor

Megan Behrend, Lecturer I, Ann Arbor

Andy Noverr / Ann Arbor / Lecturer

Katherine Majeske - Dearborn College of Business Lecturer IV

Thomas Walker, Ann Arbor, Lecturer I

Tatiana Calixto

Gina Reichert, Ann Arbor, LEO III

Cindee Giffen Ann Arbor

Jaelan McDonald - Accountant Associate (F&O Ann Arbor)

Kirsten Herold

Nora Krinitsky

Eric Beuerlein (A2, LII)

Jennifer Miller Lec IV Flint

Jefferson Yarce