Strike Pledge, May 3rd

On May 3rd, students will set up picket lines to fight for an accessible University. This strike is set to coincide with the end of UAW 4121's contract. FaDU is a member of the strike committee to plan for this strike. Meetings are at 7:15 PM on Thursdays in Smith 405-We need YOU! Go to nobudgetcutsuw.blogspot.com for more info!

UW in Crisis: A Call to Action
by For a Democratic University, a graduate student labor group

ARE YOU...

• Worried about losing your funding?
• Living paycheck to paycheck, and unable to afford increased fees and health care premiums?
• Teaching oversized classes where you're forced to hire a grader or give scantron tests instead of assigning papers?
• An international student who could lose your visa?
• A parent or caretaker with no childcare?

In its negotiations with UAW 4121, the union which represents academic student employees, the UW bargaining team has proposed a contract that will make all of these cuts to ASEs likely for next year! The UW has said that it will cut over 450 teaching assistant positions, close all tutoring and writing centers, and take away our layoff protections.

After over a month of bargaining, the UW team has not moved on these positions, and they have also walked out early of at least one meeting without giving prior notice to our union's bargaining team. They've also been insincere about our own money, and the Union estimates they have overpaid $10.6 million to our insurance company! Members of FaDU (For a Democratic University), a group of rank and file graduate workers, think these are unjust labor practices. We are prepared to strike May 3rd, the first day after our contract expires, to demand:

1. Cap all quiz sections at 20 students each. For those paid at TA level for teaching full classes, we demand commensurate wage increases.

2. Freeze tuition for everyone; ensure funding security for all graduate students.

3. Provide free quality childcare for all UW workers.

4. Provide every worker on campus including TAs, RAs, and custodians with the same health care as the top UW administrators, at a rate that we can afford.
5. Ensure that we have clean, safe labs and classrooms. Hire back all laid off custodians and tradespeople and do not lay off any more.
6. Open access to UW to all university employees.
7. Make no cuts to the WFSE workers statewide health care plan; give the workers back the money the government took from their health care fund.
8. Pay for all of this by cutting regressive taxes and replacing them with a progressive income tax on corporate profits and on the wealthiest WA residents.

We are for a strong fighting union! A strong union needs a strong rank and file!

E-mail Faduni@gmail.com to pledge here that you will strike with undergrads on May 3!