The mission of the NMU-AAUP is to coordinate activities of its members in order to improve working conditions, compensation, shared governance and maintain our academic freedom. Our mission is similar to our parent organization, the American Association of University Professors.

The AAUP was founded in 1915  in response to efforts to control the academic freedom of university professors. For example, Stanford University economist Edward Ross was fired in 1900 for his views on immigrant labor and railroad monopolies. Events like this inspired John Dewey, a professor of education and psychology at Columbia University, to form what would become the AAUP.

When you join the NMU-AAUP, you are in good company. Albert Einstein was an AAUP member from 1935 until his death in 1955.

The NMU-AAUP dues rate is .85 percent of salary, which is lower than most faculty union rates. Dues pay for services that help ensure due process is upheld for all faculty members represented by the union. Dues also pay for legal assistance when needed and they provide small stipends for members of the negotiating team who spend countless hours working on your behalf during contract years.

Your union is also a source of information on matters that affect you. We monitor national and state trends that could impact your position, and we network with other labor unions on matters that affect working families and fairness in the workplace.