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annameier.bsky.social
Anna Meier
@annameier.bsky.social
14K followers 940 following 2.4K posts
Union organizer; recovering academic | Your loud queer aunt 🏳️‍🌈 she/her | posts in English & German | itinerant Midwesterner | annameier.substack.com
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annameier.bsky.social
"The yearly cost for meeting the salary increase requested for all of SMFA's PoPs is less than the yearly salary of our top admin."

This, right there.

Tell Tufts to stop boosting bosses and start supporting faculty: act.seiu.org/a/smfa-9-25
A picture of a smiling Black woman in an orange beaded wig holding a gold trophy. Text reads: A fair salary would mean the same to me as it would to anyone struggling with the cost of living. I feel it is unfair that as Professors of the Practice at such a prestigious institution, we have to keep laying out our financial difficulties in the hopes of appealing to the emotions of our admin. The yearly cost of meeting the salary increase requested for all of SMFA's PoPs is less than the yearly salary of our top admin. A fair salary would mean that we would stop spending so much time bargaining with our admin and actually focus on the work we were brought here to do. Ng'endo Mukii, Film, Video & Animation
October 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I make a lot of graphics for union and organizing work, but this is by far my most used.

Offered as a gift to others who are also just trying to schedule the damn meeting.
The Bernie Sanders meme with the text "I am once again asking you to fill out the when2meet"
October 21, 2025 at 3:33 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I'd yeet this at the heads of professional academic orgs to which I used to belong, but they wouldn't care & power comes from below anyway, so instead I yeet it, more gently, at junior scholars trying to do decolonial work. Every academic should read it. workshops4gaza.substack.com/p/against-co...
Academic conferences, especially those that require travel, are also an inaccessible way to share knowledge and research. The cost of the flight, especially for graduate students, adjuncts and other contingent academic workers; the disregard for the sick and disabled who may not wish to spend 2-3 days among hundreds of unmasked individuals; and the professional hierarchies that are reinforced through the promotion of an aggressive culture of “networking” that only rewards those who self-promote, are not only impediments to the sharing of knowledge—they contribute to the further consolidation and siloing of information among a privileged few.
October 15, 2025 at 3:01 AM
annameier.bsky.social
Tufts should be ashamed.

Help us fight back: link.seiu509.org/savetheSMFA
A woman sitting on a couch hugging a dog underneath a large abstract painting. Text reads: I am the only PoP left at the SMFA in Ceramics. For me, a fair salary would mean a fair standard of living. Rents are rising and I am struggling to stay afloat. If I received a fair salary, it would mean I could continue teaching in Boston since I commute from New York. Faculty are leaving the SMFA for better pay and working conditions at other institutions. How much is Tufts willing to lose as the SMFA becomes a skeleton of what once made the school exceptional? Jennie Jieun Lee, Ceramics
October 9, 2025 at 9:03 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Ethan has a fabulous coat and makes equally fabulous points.

Stand with art faculty: link.seiu509.org/savetheSMFA
A man in a pink and yellow fur coat smiling at the camera. Text reads: Does Tufts believe that the arts matter in the world? As faculty, we are professionals in our field: researchers, scholars, inventors, producers, connectors, and manufacturers. We bring what we learn and make back into the classrooms and labs we work in. A fair workload means the University and the School need to state clearly in their actions that the arts are no different from the rest of the campus scholars. Tufts’ mission statement affirms a commitment to an inclusive and collaborative environment. If true, then fair salaries, workload, and support for arts faculty are essential. Without meeting these basic needs, that mission rings false. Ethan Murrow, drawing and painting
October 8, 2025 at 4:03 PM
annameier.bsky.social
link.seiu509.org/savetheSMFA
A black and white photo of a mustachioed person in a beanie with a solemn facial expression. Text reads: My teaching and art practice are inseparable. Both are about questioning power, amplifying overlooked histories, and creating spaces where dialogue and difference can thrive. A fair salary would mean recognition for the invisible labor of teaching—planning, mentoring, and supporting students well beyond the classroom. For me, it would make space to focus on what really matters: showing up fully for my students and sustaining my practice. I believe in sustainability, dignity, and justice for faculty and students, and I stand with my colleagues, students, and staff in fighting for an SMFA that reflects those values. Qais Assali, Graphic Arts
October 7, 2025 at 5:25 PM
annameier.bsky.social
How we feel about bosses exploiting workers vs. how we feel about workers organizing together:
A man with a grumpy facial expression holds a giant paper airplane made out of an SEIU placard A man with a happy facial expression holds a giant paper airplane made out of an SEIU placard
October 5, 2025 at 8:20 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Tufts keeps telling me to direct non-US citizen union members with questions to its "Federal Actions Resources" page.
Federal Actions Resources, last updated: June 27, 2025
September 30, 2025 at 3:53 AM
annameier.bsky.social
Lots of things suck! Let out some rage by emailing an anti-union dean to let her know you stand with workers demanding fair wages. This form lets you send a message with just one click. act.seiu.org/a/smfa-9-25
Image of a yellow rhino typing on a laptop. Yellow text on a purple background reads "Email Dean Fultineer. Demand fair pay and more say for PoPs at the SMFA."
September 29, 2025 at 3:24 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I love the experience of rich people walking out of a building to be confronted with something useful they could do with their power.
An orange banner hung on a rope outside, reading "Trustees: Stand up for art professors! Demand fair wages and workloads."
September 26, 2025 at 8:46 PM
annameier.bsky.social
The deans at Tufts' School of the Museum of Fine Arts are gutting faculty hiring, collapsing studio departments, & slashing art courses, all while shutting down opportunities for input from its community.

Fortunately, we're very loud.

Learn more and help #savetheSMFA: link.seiu509.org/savetheSMFA
White text on a purple background: The deans are silencing faculty and students who are fighting for SMFA's future. Take your power back. Save the SMFA!
September 19, 2025 at 1:26 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I am required to write a weekly work plan and I am nothing if not a joy to supervise.
Goal 2: Don't fall over. How is it only the first week of the semester and I already want to fall over.
September 12, 2025 at 2:20 AM
annameier.bsky.social
It's move-in day at Tufts, and we've got a few issues to flag.

Tufts art faculty deserve better than the worst pay among peer institutions. Sign the petition: link.seiu509.org/SMFApetition
Living wage for art profs chalked on a sidewalk by a lawn filled with colorful utility flags Two utility flags stuck in grass that read Fair Pay for SMFA
August 31, 2025 at 2:28 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I think about this poem all the time.
We Lived Happily During the War, Ilya Kaminsky. And when they bombed other people’s houses, we protested but not enough, we opposed them but not enough. I was in my bed, around my bed America was falling: invisible house by invisible house by invisible house. I took a chair outside and watched the sun. In the sixth month of a disastrous reign in the house of money in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money, our great country of money, we (forgive us) lived happily during the war.
August 26, 2025 at 2:21 AM
annameier.bsky.social
For whatever poor Tufts PR person got assigned to monitor my account, a message to pass along: workers, organizers, and elected officials are united and unstoppable.
A group of people stand in a line and smile inside a city council chamber
August 7, 2025 at 8:58 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Today, the Boston City Council unanimously voted to support Professors of the Practice at the SMFA at Tufts in their fight for fair pay and basic dignity at work. That a room of councilors just learning about this fight can show compassion, while Tufts only shows cruelty, speaks volumes.
CITY OF BOSTON IN CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF SMFA PROFESSORS OF THE PRACTICE AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY PURSUING A FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT WHEREAS, The City of Boston recognizes the vital role that artists and educators play in enriching civic life, and affirms the right of all workers to collectively bargain and be treated with dignity and respect; and WHEREAS, Professors of the Practice (PoPs) at Tufts University’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) are dedicated full-time professors and practicing artists whose instruction, mentorship, and creative work are the backbone of the SMFA’s academic excellence and uphold Boston’s legacy as a global center for the arts; and WHEREAS, The SMFA PoPs are currently engaged in contract negotiations seeking a fair agreement that addresses issues including salaries that keep pace with the cost of living, equitable promotion and review processes, manageable workloads, and basic institutional support; and WHEREAS, Faculty have reported that bargaining has not been going well, and that Tufts has attempted to silence vocal union members while failing to meaningfully address their concerns; and WHEREAS, While student enrollment at the SMFA has nearly tripled in recent years, the number of full-time PoPs has dropped from 40 to 30, with the university refusing to fill vacancies, overburdening current faculty; and WHEREAS, Current compensation is unsustainable for faculty who have to cover added costs such as studio space essential for them to perform their job, forcing 12 faculty members to live out of state. PoPs are requesting a 4% cost-of-living increase, but Tufts has offered only 2.75%, alongside salary minimums that fall well below those of peer institutions; & WHEREAS, BIPOC and international faculty face additional barriers, including inequitable treatment compared to colleagues on the main campus, and delayed or inconsistent visa support that has left international faculty in precarious legal and employment situations WHEREAS, At a time when institutions of higher education, international students and faculty, and the arts are under threat nationwide, Tufts University’s failure to adequately support its SMFA faculty jeopardizes not only their livelihoods, but also the long-term health and reputation of the university and its contributions to the City of Boston; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Boston City Council stands in solidarity with the SMFA Professors of the Practice at Tufts University in their pursuit of a fair contract, supports the right of all workers to organize without fear of retribution, and urges Tufts to bargain in good faith by addressing faculty concerns regarding salary, equity, and institutional support; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Council recognizes the SMFA faculty as essential contributors to the cultural and educational vitality of the City of Boston and calls on Tufts University to uphold its stated values of equity, inclusion, and academic excellence by investing in its faculty accordingly.
August 6, 2025 at 11:54 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I represent art Professors of the Practice at Tufts, & every day I'm sharing a fact abt their working conditions. Here's 1 abt how their salaries have failed to keep pace w/ the cost of living—which Tufts' 2.75% proposed raise won't fix.

Workers should be able to live in the city where they work.
PoP salaries have not kept pace with the rising cost of living—especially housing, childcare, and healthcare. Since 2023, the cost of living in the Boston area has increased by almost 10%, while our average PoP salary has only increased by 3.1%.
August 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Okay so I have missed a few days due to hellish bargaining prep, but I am back to say everything in our factsheet remains accurate, including this damning fact about Tufts forcing more and more work on its faculty.

Download and share the whole factsheet: drive.google.com/file/d/1R7lb...
Student enrollment has more than doubled at the SMFA between 2019 and 2024, while full-time SMFA faculty only increased by 24% over that same period. Because hiring hasn't kept pace with enrollment, PoP workloads have ballooned, meaning we have less time to mentor students and develop our creative practices.
August 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Boston city councilors know that when artists thrive, so does Boston. We're calling on the SMFA at Tufts to support its workers and its city by making Professors of the Practice a fair offer at the bargaining table.

Join us Weds August 6 @ noon at City Hall! All allies welcome.
A picture of a brutalist building (Boston City Hall) colored bright purple. Text reads: Join us! Boston City Council meeting. Support our resolution. Fair pay for SMFA PoPs. Wednesday, August 6, 12 pm. Boston City Hall, Circle Plaza, Boston, MA 02203
August 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
annameier.bsky.social
@margaret.bsky.social's newsletter this week is really good for those of us in movements/orgs that like to say "when we fight, we win" (something I have frequently screamed into a bullhorn without context!). margaretkilljoy.substack.com/p/revolution...
There’s this slogan that used to sort of annoy me, “when we fight, we win.” It annoys me partly because it’s a bit ambiguous. I suspect most people who use that slogan mean “when we actually get our shit together to fight bad things, we defeat those bad things and ‘win’ in a reasonably objective fashion.” Other people might use it to mean “simply by the act of fighting, we are winning because we are refusing our own subjugation.” I’m very sympathetic to the latter interpretation, but the former one bothers me. It bothers me because well, I’ve been part of countless social struggles in my life, and usually? Usually, from an objective point of view, we lose. I’ve stood in a clearcut that was once a forest I tried to defend, you know?
August 2, 2025 at 6:24 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Reminders to ourselves as we organize (or, I needed this today).
As Ruha Benjamin says in her book Viral Justice (page 50), "...growing the world we want is like the slow tending of a garden, transforming the plants by fostering relationships, trust, skills, community accountability, and healing. It requires cultivating new habits internally, seeding restorative ways of being together interpersonally, uprooting practices of inequality institutionally, and planting alternative possibilities structurally. If we only concentrate on our internal work while ignoring the fires burning all around us, we'll eventually be consumed. But if we only concentrate on putting out the blaze, we'll eventually burn out.
July 31, 2025 at 10:54 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I represent art Professors of the Practice at Tufts, and every day I'm sharing a fact about their working conditions. Here's a fact about the person making decisions not to offer them fair salaries in contract negotiations.

Download and share the whole factsheet: drive.google.com/file/d/1R7lb...
In 2023–24, Tufts reported a $34 million surplus on a $1.23 billion budget. Tufts Provost Caroline Genco made $608,307 last year— more than 6 times the median PoP salary.
July 31, 2025 at 6:12 PM
annameier.bsky.social
I rep these faculty, & I still do a double-take every time I read about their working conditions.

Download and share the full fact sheet about Tufts art faculty currently bargaining their first contract & the university that refuses to raise their minimum salaries: drive.google.com/file/d/1R7lb...
Tufts does not provide PoPs with studio space or money for studio space. Over 1/3 of PoPs live outside of Massachusetts due to the high costs of housing and studios. Eleven out of 28 PoPs hired between 2019 and 2023 have left Tufts, many for better-paying jobs at other institutions. Ten of those who have left are faculty of color.
July 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
annameier.bsky.social
The lede on this is incredibly irresponsibly framed. Do better, @npr.org.

"Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Trump has signed an EO that seeks to criminalize the unhoused and mentally ill." www.npr.org/2025/07/24/n...
Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to overhaul the way the U.S. manages homelessness.
July 24, 2025 at 11:20 PM
annameier.bsky.social
Today's my birthday. Last year on my birthday, I interviewed for a full-time organizer job. A year later, having gotten that job, I just have to say: zero regrets.
A person in a purple beanie yells at a crowd of people holding a banner reading "our working conditions are students' learning conditions" A group of people holding signs stand outside a glass-front building at night A group of smiling people hold signs, purple foam fingers, and a giant yellow inflatable finger A group of people stand outside in the rain in purple SEIU gear and smile at the camera
July 16, 2025 at 3:29 PM