Part-time faculty announced their intention to unionize with Art Institute of Chicago Workers United (AICWU), part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, via a school-wide email and rally on Tuesday, May 10.
The announcement was circulated in a public letter, which points out that more than 75% of the faculty at SAIC are part-time and non-tenure-track faculty working in a “two-tier system of compensation and benefits that is creating a permanent underclass of contingent faculty.” Nearly 200 faculty signed the public letter in support of forming the union.

Part-time faculty and non-tenure track faculty seek commitment and stability from SAIC in the form of long-term contracts.

To teach at SAIC requires a terminal degree, and many SAIC faculty received their MFA degrees from SAIC.