tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82498058512410469952024-02-07T00:18:20.912-08:00For a Democratic UniversityAn independent graduate student labor group at the University of Washington, Seattle.For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-21599801295687456722012-03-14T12:48:00.001-07:002012-03-14T12:49:50.925-07:00The Board of Regents Public Forum-Come and Be Heard, By Yourself.At the Board of Regents’ first public forum on Wednesday February 14th, four members of the board were present to listen to student suggestions concerning state funding collapse, the laying off of custodians and TA positions, and the future of our University. The board listened to the suggestions, or at least, they seemed to listen. That is, they were sitting down without earphones on. Other than that there was really no reason to believe that they could hear a word the students said.<br /><br />And the students had a great deal to be angry about. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, average tuition in the past 2 ½ decades has risen by 440 percent, which is more than four times the rate of inflation. At the University of Washington, state funds decreased from 401 million in 2009 to 212.2 million in 2012—nearly a 50% decrease, which has been made up through tuition increases and budget cuts. Nearly half of all student aid has been in the form of student loans, which gather enormous interest over time and cannot be eliminated even through bankruptcy. Even for students who demonstrate great need for funding, 40% of student aid reserved for these students is through student loans.<br /><br />But the Board of Regents did not need to respond to these issues at all. They are simply not set up to care at all about student concerns. The Board of Regents is a body of ten people chosen by the governor, not the students, faculty or university staff. They make major decisions concerning supervision, investment and distribution of funds. To their credit, they used this power once to set in place a program that exempts tuition for those with part-time jobs (RCW 28B), and many students seemed to glorify them for this reason. Yet despite their power to enforce policies (such as exemptions) the board has so far been run by business elites chosen by Chris Gregoire, including airline-industry elites Bill Ayer and Pat Shanahan. This is one of many indications that the University itself is run as a for-profit business rather than a public education institution meant to support its greater community.<br /><br />With no election process at all, and without any accountability for the Board’s actions, the crowd of students seemed to wonder: Will the Board even care what we think?<br /><br />The answer seemed time and again, no. Despite tears from one speaker who could not afford to take care of her new-born child, the regents never said a word in response, making it clear that they only needed to host the public forum as an attempt to begin implementing what House Bill 2313 will eventually make mandatory: that public forums will need to be held once a year. The attempt seemed like an empty gesture--as merely a way of stating that they did not need to be forced to host a public forum, because they had one a year before they were forced to have one.<br /><br />So the Board simply sat like golden statues receiving prayers, and the speakers were left with no certainty that anything was getting through. Even when the regents were asked direct questions like "how do you define public?" or "what have you done so far that meets student interests or participation?" there was not even a nod or a head-shake.<br /><br />Why is education free in countries far poorer than the United States? Why do we have 150 administrators who get paid more than the governor? Why does our president make $800,000?<br /><br />Speakers' questions only received ceaseless smiles and reminders that they were over their allotted three minutes. Soon speakers realized that the entire event was merely a gesture, signaled by the fact that few of the regents were even taking notes. The only purpose to speaking at all seemed to be in addressing the very audience who was meant to speak--not the regents, but the students, faculty and staff who cheered them on. A couple speakers acknowledged this directly, by reversing the microphone and turning their back on the regents to address the audience. If the Board would not listen, we would at least listen to ourselves.For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-12761268606013818512012-02-11T18:50:00.000-08:002012-02-15T18:45:42.425-08:00UW Custodians Fight Back!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNp-LPj8tS2bhWZ6uUeOEpTvvUCNvoqiQ8hJUVSk32fE61GUwzLmGNdBjF2WPpUaU9K24BkmA38qzS13BgAQyQkFuZdaBtusxzGaDgLyhGDtIRK9Cj9ZXSv33bX4zoF_y7lBLcq5MOHc/s1600/photo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNp-LPj8tS2bhWZ6uUeOEpTvvUCNvoqiQ8hJUVSk32fE61GUwzLmGNdBjF2WPpUaU9K24BkmA38qzS13BgAQyQkFuZdaBtusxzGaDgLyhGDtIRK9Cj9ZXSv33bX4zoF_y7lBLcq5MOHc/s400/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708076389657973186" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#000000;background-font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Arial;color:transparent;" id="internal-source-marker_0.28761086192628327"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">On Monday, February 6, UW custodians, tradesworkers, and supporters rallied to save the job of a fellow worker who was facing termination for reasons that are at best spurious and at worst straight-up lies. This custodian just so happened to be one of those who militantly<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgOaGjUIaQM&feature=youtu.be"> fought to stop cuts and manage abuse in 2009 and 2010</a>. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgOaGjUIaQM&feature=youtu.be%29"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span></a><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"> He is the 8th custodian organizer to be retaliated against in this way. This rally helped show that direct action can indeed get the goods -- the next day this custodian’s job was saved!</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">Contrary to claims of some who seem to think that immigrant workers are incapable of organizing themselves, members of the union representing custodians and tradesworkers initiated and planned the rally. It was not sanctioned by the union officials but by the workers themselves. FaDU and other student and community members and groups came out in support both because we believe in justice and dignity for all workers and because we know that our own struggle for a democratic university is bound up with other workers’ struggles.</span><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">Here are comments that several FaDU members and supporters made about their experience going to the rally:</span><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">Before this week’s rally, I had been aware of custodians’ recent struggles against the elimination of the swing shift, and to improve their working conditions by being allowed to take reasonable breaks and have access to appropriate equipment to prevent injuries that lead to chronic health problems. Listening to several custodians address the crowd on Monday, however, I was shocked by what I heard. I was surprised to learn that UW management is repressing worker organization by arranging work schedules around language differences. I was also surprised to learn that UW management is firing custodians without reasonable cause, only to keep those positions vacant and require the workers who remain to pick up the extra work, in addition to their regular responsibilities and without additional pay. Monday’s rally was powerful because it was a public declaration of the working conditions that otherwise seem to remain largely invisible to UW students, faculty and community members. As a graduate student at UW, I am really angry about what I heard on Monday and I am committed to making UW’s management of this section of its workforce more visible so that we can all hold UW accountable for its treatment of the people who work here. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">What I heard from custodians on Monday was that there are some arbitrary decisions taken by UW management in making temporary assignments to various buildings, or to purposely overwork a custodian by doubling their responsibilities during a particular shift -- and these may be calculated to send a punitive message (and not to improve cleanliness or make the work more efficient, etc). It makes the custodians more vulnerable. Complaints about custodians under those conditions might provide a basis for management to begin this 3-stage disciplinary review process (which i have to say i don't clearly understand). One more level of this, too: by not rehiring additional workers after a firing or a resignation, etc, there seems to be a gradual increase in the overall share of the work that custodians do on campus, possibly opening up the possibility of more disciplinary actions leveled at particular custodians.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">Also it was clear that several rank and file workers are confident and ready to fight and they want to organize broadly with other people on campus, to become more visible as Anna said, and to collaborate with other workers. They are doing this with or without official WFSE say-so. This (as well as the awesome news of the retraction of the firing threat) is a good sign that we should celebrate.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">Listening to story after story of ways in which UW custodians are subjected to intimidation and unjust working conditions on campus, I found myself reflecting on how I can best stand in solidarity with the struggles they are facing. I was particularly interested in one conversation with a UW undergrad and a UW custodian. The undergrad spoke to his complete lack of political efficacy in our two party system to make change. The student was disenchanted and promoted withholding participation in our current political structures . The custodian agreed with frustrations of our current political framework, however felt as though there is a sense of personal power that comes along with believing in something and taking action. He advocated education on issues, public protests, and voting for the "lesser of the two evils". The custodian repetitively begged the question: "But what are you for? You keep saying what you are against-but what are you for?" The student could not come up with an answer.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">I think that question in an important one to keep in mind- especially as we are faced with important labor struggles on our own campus. As a community, what are we for and how can we best achieve that? What does a truly democratic university look like and how can our autonomous political decisions and behavior (both on and off the campus grounds) affect life at the university? I would love to see a space for collective visioning of democracy on campus. A space for collaboration and creativity to express solidarity with different struggles our community is facing and practice the kind of democracy we want to see.</span><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4OGnToHeI4rWIC1drWZ68WY0CBwYRMdvMFw-FpOAt75vW0-IvqUaGZYd8yP4JxthYVl0tlPKPd1p6Xjv3zY0HtLz6i-BecdjsQivEDfrNSwkLasnsho" height="1px;" width="1px;" /><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oo2L3VfXVNoVJqkylbo1jvftQjbVLC5q04ncuNeh2nXA6EyNYIDvbjUkQvOYGQUmNLqCRhdEHz1DOjaVDSYVzYwNAlNJY_Oa3sDQfbw3qz_-mIZ_D20rqE_5OwGUOOmbZIsg50Ke7pU/s1600/selfcleaningstationsatuw.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oo2L3VfXVNoVJqkylbo1jvftQjbVLC5q04ncuNeh2nXA6EyNYIDvbjUkQvOYGQUmNLqCRhdEHz1DOjaVDSYVzYwNAlNJY_Oa3sDQfbw3qz_-mIZ_D20rqE_5OwGUOOmbZIsg50Ke7pU/s400/selfcleaningstationsatuw.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709559032447693714" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;">Part of UW’s strategy for eliminating custodian positions is to shift more of the labor of clean-up to people that the university doesn’t have to pay. Hence the “self-serve” garbage and recycle bins in some building offices and similar stations for cleaning library computers. Make no mistake, FaDU does not believe that UW students and faculty are above cleaning up after ourselves. But this is not about democratizing work, it’s about cutting jobs. Maybe someday there will be no such thing as a custodian or a student, and we will all share responsibility for cleaning, for learning, and for sharing knowledge, but in the meantime the self-cleaning stations illustrate just one of the effects of ever-increasing austerity in our education system.</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-897659581030798532012-02-04T12:52:00.000-08:002012-02-04T13:03:01.069-08:00Canadian Teaching Assistants Preparing to StrikeGraduate student workers at University of Toronto, who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3902, have rejected the tentative contract between their union and the university and are poised to go on strike on February 24. Like UW's Academic Student Employees, grad workers at UT have faced dramatic speedup in the form of increased lab and class sizes in the last four years while simultaneously dealing with major cuts to funding for advanced students. <div><br /></div><div>Read more about CUPE 3902's fight <a href="http://cupe3902.org/2012/01/teaching-assistants-at-university-of-toronto-set-strike-deadline/#more-2754">here</a>.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV6rByx3mjrkdppdCnguObpdupeI5sNhh9kabow6Xlizgwel-LXG-VRx2J5cJ1VxuNJHvVgj4EHc7akwEoELe6J2VtLTHFkaJxffjHfTSUlSp3jwrjhMf5knl3KiuJjsxyuXFrUDMj-8/s1600/Unit-1-Meeting-Jan-30.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV6rByx3mjrkdppdCnguObpdupeI5sNhh9kabow6Xlizgwel-LXG-VRx2J5cJ1VxuNJHvVgj4EHc7akwEoELe6J2VtLTHFkaJxffjHfTSUlSp3jwrjhMf5knl3KiuJjsxyuXFrUDMj-8/s400/Unit-1-Meeting-Jan-30.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705388446436143106" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">All power to the rank and file! </div></div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-21446420752464141902012-01-11T16:49:00.001-08:002012-01-11T16:49:57.112-08:00UW General Assemblies<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918);">Last night, University of Washington students, staff, and community members held the first UW general assembly. This was a public meeting that created an alternative space for both discussion and decision making. The GA allows for democratic decision making, from the ground-up, about what affects us as student and workers at this public university. Last night, we discussed campaigns we'd like to see happen at UW, including </span><a href="http://occupystudentdebt.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918);">a student debt strike</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918);">, a boycott divestment sanctions campaign at UW against Israeli apartheid, and logistical details about how to proceed with future GAs.</span><br /> <div class="HOEnZb adL" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918);"><div class="im"><br /><span>Missed last night's GA? Minutes are posted on the </span><a href="http://uwgenassembly.org/" target="_blank">UW GA website</a><span>. Be sure to check out this </span><a href="http://dailyuw.com/news/2012/jan/10/community-activists-host-first-general-assembly/" target="_blank">positive coverage in UW Daily</a><span>, which includes interviews with For a Democracy University Members Chris and Ariel! Note an error in the article: FADU is actually an interdisciplinary group rather than exclusive to the English department.</span><div><br /></div><div>FADU hopes you will be able to join the second GA next week on Tuesday, January 17, at 5 pm in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.washington.edu/maps/" target="_blank">By George Cafe</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in the basement of Odegaard.<br /> <br />For a Democratic University<br /></div></div></div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-33191823505805827902011-12-14T08:38:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:39:10.734-08:00Fall 2011 Grading Party<p style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">At the end of each academic quarter, For a Democratic University initiates<br />a Grade-In at Suzzallo Espresso. Whether you have participated in the past<br />or not, join with other grad student workers from* 12PM - 5PM at Suzzallo<br />on Wednesday, December 14 and Thursday, December 15 *to grade, read, write,<br />work on research and to show your solidarity with other workers on campus.<br /></p><p style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> Why do we do this? As workers at UW, our labor is our power. The<br />contributions we make alongside students, faculty and staff around us are<br />easily discredited and made invisible when we work alone, hunkered down and<br />isolated at our own desks. At the Grade-In, however, we engage a public<br />space and quietly demonstrate to those around us that there is a politics<br />at our workplace.<br /></p><p style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">We will also be discussing possibilities for bringing Occupy to UW in<br />winter quarter. </p>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-34900620748048085022011-11-13T12:48:00.000-08:002011-11-13T13:06:41.770-08:00Save the Date!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyGNqf-iWGobwzoMRbzF0X0nehEGGNf8c4ekXr2rGF36KYYu7qf7Q2jSSUBRZkp0nWt_vzXOzqDfSBaUNFlCHsRFOr-tX9vJkhR_9YQ36REY8HXKu8ibpvoPxWypY4bZTwF4__ROkbN0/s1600/fadu+and+friends+at+westlake.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyGNqf-iWGobwzoMRbzF0X0nehEGGNf8c4ekXr2rGF36KYYu7qf7Q2jSSUBRZkp0nWt_vzXOzqDfSBaUNFlCHsRFOr-tX9vJkhR_9YQ36REY8HXKu8ibpvoPxWypY4bZTwF4__ROkbN0/s400/fadu+and+friends+at+westlake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674585464456129138" /></a>For a Democratic University, supporters, and students we met at Westlake during the October 11 student walkout to Occupy Seattle. Click the image to enlarge.<div><br /></div><div>Save the dates for two of our upcoming FADU events! Our next happy hour will be December 6 at 5 pm at Big Time. Our quarterly grade-in was Wednesday and Thursday of finals week (December 14 and 15).</div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-75982405340112681142011-11-06T15:52:00.001-08:002011-11-06T15:52:31.681-08:00November Happy Hour<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Hello supporters/colleagues of </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">FaDU</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">,</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Thanks a lot to those of you who attended our Happy Hour last month at Solstice. It was good to share some reflections of the new school year potential projects in 2011-2012. October found many of us wrapped up in this wonderful, galvanizing Occupy Seattle movement, and we suspect this grabbed your attention, too. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Now we are ready to move forward on these UW writing center plans. We want to craft </span><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">next steps and goals</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> on the writing center campaign with you. We also want to see if you have you been able to do some </span><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">research</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> on how funding has changed at UW for the writing centers. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But whether or not you've done so, please join us </span><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Tuesday the 8th at Big Time (on the Ave), beginning at 5PM</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> (this remains an all ages venue until 8PM). We know some classes are getting out just after 5PM, but you're welcome to come late. If you know that someone else is passionate about this issue, bring them, too. Come out, grab some pizza or frites to go with that pint glass, and help us plan some practical, radical politics! </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In solidarity,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">FaDU</span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-14266095769993465222011-09-29T14:37:00.001-07:002011-09-29T14:39:54.560-07:00Fall 2011 Happy HourFor a Democracy University is holding our first happy hour of the school year on Thursday, October 6, at 4:30 at Cafe Solstice at 4116 University Way. Join us to talk about labor on campus, meet other grad students, and talk about what you'd like to see in a campaign for this school year. Cafe Solstice is all ages, and serves coffee/tea as well as beer/wine. Children are welcome.For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-52891924364518433312011-05-28T11:14:00.000-07:002012-04-20T19:27:41.450-07:00Open Letter to UAW 4121 Regarding the Proposed Expiration DateBelow is the text of a letter FADU has sent to the UAW 4121 Executive Board. We want to share it with you in order to continue broad engagement with matters affecting graduate student workers. The letter calls on the EBoard to reply in writing to these concerns. We also plan to bring this issue to the UAW Membership Meeting on Tuesday (5/31 at 3:30 in <a href="http://washington.edu/maps/?GNOM">Foege</a> N130), and hope you will be able to attend with your own clarifying questions as we near the end of the quarter.<br />Please forgive cross postings as we share this document widely--and do join us in sharing this with all ASEs<br /><br />------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br />May 28, 2011<br /><br /><br />Open Letter to the UAW 4121 Executive Board/BargainingTeam<br /><br />To the UAW 4121 Executive Board,<br /><br />As the spring quarter draws to a close and bargaining with the University of Washington enters the fourth week after the April 30 contract expiration, we write with regards to the ongoing negotiations. While the bargaining updates of May 20th, May 6th, and May 4th all indicate ongoing conversations about two of the major issues on the table (fee waivers and health care coverage), a third bargaining item proposed in the update sent on April 30th has not been mentioned since: a one year contract “which would expire June 30, 2011” [sic]. We write with concern for the third item, to call attention to it and to elicit explanation from the Bargaining Team.<br /><br />Our first question: is the proposed end date June 30, 2011 or June 30, 2012?<br /><br />Assuming the latter, there are two concerns we call on the UAW Bargaining Team to address. The first is the decision to enter into a second one-year contract. Last year UAW Local 4121 concluded a three-year contract and the membership voted to ratify the one year contract we are now concluding. We, members of UAW 4121 and of FADU, reiterate our concern that another one-year contract will make us vulnerable to yet another year of possible takeaways and harsh cutbacks. How does this short-term contract provide protection to ASE workers and strengthen our union?<br /><br />Our second concern is the proposed contract expiration date of June 30th. Such a late expiration date would move the bargaining process to a time when the majority of ASEs have concluded their contractual obligations for the year. With the majority of ASEs off-campus, neither leading sections and classes, nor grading papers, nor conducting research, our power to unite and fight as workers will be limited. Resources for visible and vocal support of UAW bargaining will be eliminated. The possibility of a strike will be removed. What benefits outweigh the destruction of our two greatest strengths: our voice and our labor?<br /><br />A third question this issue raises is pertinent to both this year and next: what is the procedure for the contract ratification vote if negotiations proceed into the summer? The fourth contract extension has expired, a fifth has been established. With only one week and finals left in the quarter, we request information concerning how the E-Board proposes to present a contract to rank-and-file for ratification. What will the procedure be in future years if the June 30th expiration date is ratified? According to the UAW International Constitution, it is the responsibility of the Bargaining Team to present the proposed contract to the vote of Local Union Membership. The local bylaws prohibit regular membership meetings from June 16th through September 15th and also require the Bargaining Team to present the final contract to the membership for ratification (Article 19, Section 3). Though the Executive Board retains the power of highest authority between membership meetings, matters concerning the vital interests of the Local Union are subject to the approval of the membership (Article 7, Section 2). By what procedure does the UAW Executive Board propose to fulfill these obligations, present the contract to rank-and-file members for approval, and enter into negotiations with the full strength of membership available to support the process of bargaining for a fair contract?<br /><br />We call on the UAW Executive Board to respond by email to the membership to address the concerns raised by what appears to be a minor change in dates, but is in fact a serious threat to the strength of our union.<br /><br /><br /><br />In Solidarity,<br /><br /><br /><br />For A Democratic University<br /><br /><br /><br />For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-51648431232908195232011-05-11T11:37:00.001-07:002011-05-11T11:51:27.774-07:00UPDATE: AWDU victory after vote count resumes at UC!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">After a contentious struggle to get every vote counted in the UAW elections at University of California, counting resumed on May 5th after the votes had been abandoned by the elections committee five days earlier. Voter turnout for this election was exponentially higher than previous years, and as predicted, the AWDU reform slate was proven victorious after the rest of the ballots were counted and certified!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">From the </span><a href="http://www.awdu.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">AWDU blog</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">We are excited to announce that our votes have finally been counted and our reform slate has won nearly 60% of positions on our UAW 2865 union Joint Council! The 80-member Joint Council is the highest elected body of our union with representatives from every campus.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 24px; font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;"><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">55% of voters also cast their ballots for our Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU) reform slate for the UAW 2865 Executive Board – </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">electing our candidates to all 10 positions on the Board, including President</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. The Elections Committee has certified these election results as true and fair. You can see the full results </span><a href="http://www.awdu.org/election-results"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">."</span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">For more information about the election struggle and the UAW 2865 contract, visit AWDU's blog or click </span><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/ucla-awdu-member-outs-admin-caucus-for-pattern-of-outright-dishonesty-and-manipulation/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">.</span></p></span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-12905213128728300342011-05-02T23:00:00.000-07:002011-05-02T23:13:18.664-07:00Stolen UAW Leadership Elections at the UC -- show your support for democratic elections!<style>@font-face { font-family: "Courier New"; }@font-face { font-family: "Wingdings"; }@font-face { font-family: "MS 明朝"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }p.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }p.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }p.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }.MsoChpDefault { font-family: Cambria; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0in; }ul { margin-bottom: 0in; }</style> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" face="times new roman" class="MsoNormal">Last week, the <a href="http://www.uaw2865.org/">UAW Local 2865</a> – representing 12,000 Academic Student Employees at the University of California – held elections for top union leadership positions.<span style=""> </span>Challenging the incumbents were a reform slate of candidates from <a href="http://www.awdu.org/">Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU)</a>.<span style=""> </span>Here’s an overview of the chain of events that ended with an undemocratic stolen election.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" face="times new roman" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <ul style="font-family: times new roman;" face="times new roman"><li>Tuesday, April 26: Voting begins.</li></ul><ul style="font-family: times new roman;" face="times new roman"><li>Thursday, April 28: Voting ends.</li></ul> <ul style="font-family: times new roman;"><li>Friday, April 29: All ballot boxes are taken to UCLA to be counted, despite challenges to the procedures.</li></ul> <ul style="font-family: times new roman;"><li>Saturday, April 30: Halfway through counting votes – when it seems possible that AWDU can win the elections – the chair of the Elections Committee, Travis Knowles of UCSD, declares the election “partially certified” and stops the count! <b style="">This means more than 1500 votes from UC Berkeley and UCLA (nearly half the ballots cast) are not counted when the election is called and the Elections Committee abandons the ballots.<span style=""> </span></b>All challenges will not be considered until July.</li></ul><br /><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Rallies and sit-ins are taking place in Berkeley and beyond, but you can still help from Seattle by emailing the following people and telling them you think that ALL BALLOTS should be counted and democracy maintained:</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">President, Daraka Larimore-Hall <a href="mailto:larimorehall@uaw2865.org">larimorehall@uaw2865.org</a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Vice President, Jorge Cabrera <a href="mailto:jcabrera@uaw2865.org">jcabrera@uaw2865.org</a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Financial Secretary, Donna Fenton <a href="mailto:financial@uaw2865.org">financial@uaw2865.org</a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Elections Committee Chair, Travis Knowles <a href="mailto:elections@uaw2865.org">elections@uaw2865.org</a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Director for Region 5, Jim Wells <a href="mailto:jwells@uaw.net">jwells@uaw.net</a></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:jwells@uaw.net"><br /></a> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">You can also sign AWDU's electronic petition here: <a href="http://www.awdu.org/count-all-of-the-votes">http://www.awdu.org/count-all-of-the-votes</a></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.awdu.org/count-all-of-the-votes"><br /></a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Help our peers in California put a stop business-as-usual at the UAW until they COUNT ALL THE VOTES.</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=""> </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">For more information about problems with this election and the response from AWDU and their supporters, check out the following links:</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2011/04/california-grad-students-seek-bottom-union">http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2011/04/california-grad-students-seek-bottom-union</a></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dailycal.org/article/112993/concern_over_voting_fraud_grows_in_un">http://www.dailycal.org/article/112993/concern_over_voting_fraud_grows_in_un</a></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dailycal.org/article/112993/concern_over_voting_fraud_grows_in_un"><br /></a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/">http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/</a></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/"><br /></a></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.awdu.org/">http://www.awdu.org/</a></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">-For a Democratic University<br /></p>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-39702020395432769282011-04-25T11:07:00.000-07:002011-04-25T11:10:42.632-07:00Upcoming Events<u style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Wednesday April 27th</u><br /><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <li> 3:30 PM UAW membership meeting in Bagley 154, to be followed by a UAW action (more details to come from UAW)<br /><a href="http://www.uaw4121.org/" target="_blank"><u>http://www.uaw4121.org</u></a></li></ul><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <ul><li>7-9 PM Caring Labor event sponsored by the Bridges Center. "Young, Disparaged and Paid in Smiles: Experiences in the Caring Labor Industry," Room 305AM, UW School of Social Work, 4101 15th Ave NE. <br />More info: <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/pcls/events.html" target="_blank">http://depts.washington.edu/<wbr>pcls/events.html</a></li></ul><u>Friday April 29th</u><br /></div><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <li>11-11:30 AM Come picket in the Quad with FaDU and teaching and research assistants at UW who are fighting for a fair labor contract. The current contract for "academic student employees" expires April 30, but negotiations are likely to extend into the summer.<br /></li></ul><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <u>Sunday May 1st</u><br /><ul><li>NOON International Worker's day march for immigrants' and workers' rights. Meet at noon at Judkins Playfield, 611 20th Ave S, Seattle </li></ul></div><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li>Meet up with FaDU at the march to join us for a BBQ afterwards</li></ul>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-75899683649507676052011-04-19T09:04:00.000-07:002011-04-19T14:06:28.233-07:00Spring Quarter Happy Hour<style>@font-face { font-family: "Courier New"; }@font-face { font-family: "Wingdings"; }@font-face { font-family: "Book Antiqua"; }@font-face { font-family: "Estrangelo Edessa"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }span.pp-headline-itempp-headline-address { }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0in; }ul { margin-bottom: 0in; }</style><span style=";font-family:";font-size:20pt;" ><span style="color:black;"> </span></span> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:36pt;" >Join us for </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:48pt;" >Happy Hour!</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:26pt;" >Thursday, April 21st 5:00pm</span></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:22pt;" >Café Solstice (all ages)</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="pp-headline-itempp-headline-address"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:22pt;" >4116 University Way NE</span></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:22pt;" ></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:26pt;color:black;" > </span></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:20pt;color:black;" >Join us to discuss upcoming struggles and issues:<br /></span></p><ul><li><span style=";font-family:";font-size:20pt;color:black;" >organizing around childcare for all students and campus workers;</span></li></ul><br /><ul><li><span style=";font-family:";font-size:20pt;color:black;" >UAW’s ongoing contract negotiations</span></li></ul><br /><ul><li><span style=";font-family:";font-size:20pt;color:black;" >May Day: International Workers’ Day</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-89295076694388982572011-02-09T11:07:00.000-08:002011-02-09T11:15:26.345-08:00Why Do TAs & RAs Want Open Bargaining?<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.15721120120999243">Fellow Rank and File Members of UAW 4121,</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As you know, our labor union is about to begin negotiating a new contract between graduate student workers and University of Washington management. This will replace the one-year contract that our executive board negotiated with management last spring. At that time, management brought many frightening takeaways to the bargaining table, including cutting up to 440 teaching assistant quarters, the closure of writing and tutoring centers, the imposition of health care premiums, and loss of lay-off protection. Not knowing what was happening in bargaining for several months only added to the fear and doubt that many of us felt. As rank and file members, we want to be actively engaged in the bargaining process to ensure that UW acknowledges our value and power as workers, and therefore we wish to attend bargaining between UAW and UW this time around.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is open bargaining?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Open bargaining occurs when rank and file members are permitted to attend contract negotiation meetings. We are not advocating that bargaining be open to the general public. Members do not engage in negotiation, but actively observe. Open bargaining promotes democracy in the union because it is a transparent way for members to engage in bargaining. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is open bargaining common union practice?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">SEIU 925, which represents about 4000 office and technical workers at UW, practices open bargaining. WFSE 1488, the third union on campus, does not, although they do ensure that their bargaining team contains representation from every sector in their union local, and they provide detailed updates on the state of bargaining.* UAW 4121 has the distinction of having the least transparent bargaining process at University of Washington. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wouldn’t open bargaining mean that we need to fill the room every time or risk looking weak to management? </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Open bargaining is just one tactic among many to assert our power as workers. We can strategically attend bargaining at key moments in negotiation. Last year rank and file graduate student workers organized numerous pickets, rallies, and other events comprising between 20 and 100 other ASEs. Such mobilizations, employed at strategic times, would give us more power in negotiations. Establishing open bargaining is in itself a way to show UW the commitment of the rank and file to negotiating a fair contract.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Won’t open bargaining make UW management angry and unwilling to negotiate? </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Management is required to bargain in good faith, though they don’t always do this. During the 2010 contract negotiations, UW repeatedly walked out on closed bargaining meetings. Open bargaining would hold management accountable to us so that they would be more pressured to bargain in good faith.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We are the union. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Join us at our bargaining goals ratification meeting on February 17 to vote yes on open bargaining.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For a Democratic University</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">English Grads for Public Education</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:small;" ><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >*Here are examples from WFSE 1488 and UAW 4121 bargaining updates late in contract negotiations</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />WFSE 1488 BARGAINING UPDATES:</b><br /><br /><b style="font-family: arial;">UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. </b><span style="font-family:arial;">The UW Bargaining Team met in another mediation session Wednesday (Feb. 2). The team spent the day seeking clarifications and trying to work up some new ideas to move things forward. They reminded management that this was the second time they had failed to address the transfer proposal we included in Article 42 (Appointments and Positions).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For their part management DID agree to go back to our current language on both overtime and FMLA-this is not a major movement, but does reduce the number of items on the table.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On some major issues: management still seems to have no appetite for seniority as the deciding factor on rehires/transfers; no major movement on improvements to removal of records, corrective action, or the grievance procedure article; the UW team made it clear that we would take no action regarding either contracting out OR the layoff article pending the PERC finding of fact from our PREVIOUS negotiations.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">An additional mediation session is slated for March.</span><br /><br /><b style="font-family: arial;">COMMUNITY COLLEGES COALITION. </b><span style="font-family:arial;">The Community College Coalition Bargaining Team wraps up three days of negotiations Feb. 4.</span><br /><br /><br /><b style="font-family: arial;">INFORMATION MEETINGS ON GENERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT </b><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> The information meetings on the General Government tentative contract agreement started Monday and continue until mail ballots are due Feb. 11. These meetings also give General Government members the option of dropping off ballots in person if they don’t want to drop it in the mail.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> The complete list of contract information meetings is online at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.wfse.org/" target="_blank">www.wfse.org</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and in the special 40-page newspaper on the contract that General Government members received in the mail.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />UAW 4121 Bargaining Update</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Greetings,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Yesterday we met with the University and the mediator and began a discussion of a comprehensive settlement package. The discussion was not concluded, and we formally extended the contract until June 1st, 2010.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> As the end of the quarter approaches we will continue communicating with members individually about next steps. Please contact us at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="mailto:uaw4121@uaw4121.org" target="_blank">uaw4121@uaw4121.org</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> or 206.633.6080 if you have specific questions. As a reminder we will be having a membership meeting on Friday (May 28th) at 5:30 pm in Loew 102.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Thanks as always for your continued support during these negotiations. For updates and more information about bargaining you can always go to our website: </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.uaw4121.org/" target="_blank">www.uaw4121.org</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> In solidarity,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> UAW 4121 Bargaining Committee</span></span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-24697073199773753682011-02-08T20:02:00.000-08:002011-02-08T20:06:38.046-08:00Childcare Forum<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Childcare Forum </span></span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >Monday, February 14th, 3:30pm </span><br /> <span style=";font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >Savery 157</span><br /></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Here are just some of the things that student-parents at UW have to say about the childcare provisions for students and workers at UW: </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>Childcare is the big constraint, which determines how you will spend your time and resources</i></span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>I worry about being perceived as not serious about school, I don’t want to use having a child as an excuse not to do stuff. I am always very conscious of this...</i></span></li></ul> <ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="font-family: arial;">The University isn’t structured to accommodate parents, or really any people who have any obligations </i><i style="font-family: arial;">outside of school. Faculty don’t think that students are going home to families or caring for their own parents or other relatives…</i></span><br /></li></ul><span></span><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Join For A Democratic University (FaDU) on Monday, February 14th to share your experiences as a student-parent, learn about what it's like to be a student-parent at UW, and strategize with other university students and workers about how to demand improvements to childcare at UW. </span></span><br /> <span style=";font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">There will be food! Children are welcome! </span></span></div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-963914470406098272010-12-14T21:16:00.000-08:002010-12-14T21:17:10.891-08:00<div id=":6o" class="ii gt"><div id=":6p"><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"> <b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Grade-In with Grad Student Workers</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">event by For a Democratic University</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">1-5 PM Wednesday December 15th</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Suzzallo Espresso</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Join FaDU the Wednesday of finals week for a grade-in.<span> </span>We will be in Suzzallo Espresso—drop in any time between 1 and 5, bring those stacks of exams and papers, and grade in solidarity with other grad students!<span> </span><span><span> </span>If you’re not a TA, you are still welcome to join us and bring something you are working on.<span> </span>Help us take up as many tables as possible and create a politicized space, where we can be visible as <b>graduate student workers</b>.<span> </span></span><b><span style="color: red;">Our labor is our power!</span></b><span> </span><span>The University makes <b><span style="color: red;">A LOT</span></b> of money <b>on our backs</b>, considering the amount of research money or money for student tuition we make for the UW in comparison to our wages.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">This is also a chance to talk with other grads about how budget cuts are affecting you.<span> </span>Come out Wednesday, have a coffee, and work in solidarity with other grads!</span></p> </span> </div></div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-48090452811718554472010-12-01T09:11:00.000-08:002010-12-01T09:19:05.161-08:00UC UAW Local 2865 contract ratification<p><span style="font-size:100%;">Our peers in California, rank and file members of UAW Local 2865, are voting this week on a contract that they don't support. Across the state, members are voting "no" and in doing so, are demanding an end to undemocratic bargaining practices and that the union begin to mobilize the membership's power in a real and meaningful way. Here are some of the letters in support of a "no" vote that are being circulated by the membership of UAW Local 2865:<br /></span></p><ul><li><a href="http://berkeleyuaw.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/why-we-are-voting-no/" target="_blank">“Why We Are Voting No”</a> by AWaDU (Academic Workers for a Democratic Union)<br /></li><li><a href="http://ucgradstrike.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/letter-from-uaw-member-cheryl-deutsch/" target="_blank">letter</a> from UCI head steward Cheryl Deutsch</li><li><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/five-members-of-the-uaw-2865-bargaining-team-urge-rank-and-file-to-mobilize-for-a-no-vote/" target="_blank">letter</a> from 5 members of the bargaining team</li><li><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/ethnic-studies-graduate-alliance-endorses-no-vote-on-uaw-contract/" target="_blank">letter</a> from the Ethnic Studies Graduate Alliance</li><li><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/letter-of-solidarity-from-our-comrades-at-cuny/" target="_blank">letter of solidarity</a> from the CUNY Adjunct Project</li></ul><br /><p>Fellow grad students and UAW Local 2865 union members,</p> <p>I’m writing to tell you why I will be voting NO on the tentative agreement reached last week between our union and the UC.</p> <p>I believe our current union leadership conceded to this agreement after disingenuous efforts at both organizing and bargaining. I think we can do better.</p> <p>Our union has fallen prey to a number of undemocratic practices that obstruct member participation and leave us strategically vulnerable in contract negotiations. Efforts at member outreach have been superficial at best. When it came time to set priorities for this round of negotiations, for example, UCI was almost entirely left out of the loop. Those of us who have made efforts to find out more information and/or get involved have been ignored or talked down to. As you can see from the emails that the leadership occasionally deigns to send out, communication within and from the union is not easily forthcoming, while the information that does get sent out is often vague and confusing. Participation seems always already foreclosed. The sum of all these undemocratic practices is a weak union poorly positioned to win anything but a weak contract.</p> <p>While the gains on childcare subsidy in the tentative agreement are a step in the right direction, its provision for a 2% annual raise is insufficient to keep pace with the increasing cost of living. (Just think about the automatic 6-7% increase in our grad student housing rent every year here in Irvine…) If ratified, this agreement will become our contract for the next three years. The union leadership never even brought to the bargaining table issues like guaranteed affordable housing (i.e. not VDC and Puerta Del Sol, the expensive private housing that we can’t reject without losing our housing guarantees…) or the issue of ‘new’ fees like the $200+ per quarter that we now pay. Putting a limit on runaway class sizes and teaching loads has never even been on the leadership’s radar.</p> <p>The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way… Not everyone involved in bargaining was on board with this agreement: all present representatives from Berkeley and Santa Cruz objected to the agreement and refused to sign it. You can read their statement here:</p> <p><a href="http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/five-members-of-the-uaw-2865-bargaining-team-urge-rank-and-file-to-mobilize-for-a-no-vote/">http://thosewhouseit.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/five-members-of-the-uaw-2865-bargaining-team-urge-rank-and-file-to-mobilize-for-a-no-vote/</a></p> <p>They believe, like I do, that we deserve a stronger contract. This, in turn, demands a stronger union. Together, we are part of a large and growing group of union members across the state working together to build a more democratic union. We believe a NO vote on the tentative agreement will be an important first step in this direction.</p> <p>Voting NO on ratification of this agreement will send our union representatives back to the bargaining table for a fresh start and a mandate to push for a strong contract that includes:</p> <ul><li>Wages that keep pace with the cost of living</li><li> A full fee remission (including that bullshit $200+ per quarter)</li><li>Full childcare subsidies</li><li>Guaranteed affordable housing</li><li>Adequate appointment notification and security</li></ul> <p>I encourage you to join me in voting NO on this agreement. You can pledge to do so here:</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ucstudents.org/voteno">http://ucstudents.org/voteno</a></h2> <p>Voting will take place next week, Monday through Thursday, outside SST. There will be a union meeting on Monday, Nov 29 at 5:30pm in SBSG 3323.</p> <p>Finally, you might hear rumors that a vote against this contract is a vote to go on strike. This is not true. With a NO vote, we can go back to bargaining with the UC stronger than ever.</p> <p>Remember: THE UNIVERSITY WORKS BECAUSE WE DO…</p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>Cheryl Deutsch<br />Department of Anthropology<br />UC Irvine </p>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-47441305432947959992010-11-09T17:56:00.000-08:002010-11-09T17:59:27.237-08:00Open Letter to the Bargaining Team of UAW 2865UAW local 2865 represents University of California's Graduate Student Instructors, tutors, and graders, and is currently in contract negotiations with UC management. Read below our open letter to their bargaining team calling on them to respect rank and file workers and call a strike!<br /><br /><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" id="internal-source-marker_0.3949848821647075"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Open letter to the bargaining team for UAW Local 2865</span></p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">by For a Democratic University, an independent graduate student labor group at University of Washington</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As rank and file members of UAW 4121, For a Democratic University (FaDU) fully supports the efforts of University of California’s Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU) to build rank-and-file power, gain a strong contract, and increase transparency and democracy in their union. FaDU spent much of last spring calling on our elected union leadership, who were engaged in tough bargaining with University of Washington management, to fight for workers and to call a strike if necessary. After multiple contract extensions and implied strike threats, 4121’s bargaining team agreed to a temporary contract with no substantive gains for Academic Student Employees (ASEs), leaving us vulnerable to further cuts this year. Having backed off the strike, the bargaining team lost the opportunity for even modest gains for ASEs.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now we see a similar drama unfolding at University of California. Members of UAW 2865’s contract expired September 30, but you, members of the bargaining team, have extended negotiations rather than calling a strike. As AWDU members stated so clearly in April, “[w]e already know that the autocratic managers of the university will not listen to us unless we force them to. Since we are left with no choice, then we must use force: we must strike to make our demands heard.” </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thus far, UC managment have made it clear that they refuse to provide ASEs with a decent wage. In more than two months of bargaining, UAW 2865 has obtained only extremely minor improvements in managements’ offers. It’s time for action. We call on you to call for a strike in early December and begin devoting the union local’s resources toward member mobilization. UAW 2865 members have already made it clear that they won’t accept a below-inflation wage increase. They are willing to fight, and you are their elected representatives. As ASEs and rank and file members of UAW, we are in solidarity with UC workers and call on you to begin strike preparation immediately.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In Solidarity,</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For a Democratic University</span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-71006370795811240922010-10-16T23:03:00.001-07:002010-10-16T23:06:10.651-07:00Another Happy Hour!Join FaDU for another happy hour! Still at Solstice Cafe on the Ave, this time at 5:30 on Wednesday, October 20. We'll be talking more about how to fight against privatization of UW and for an anti-racist, anti-sexist university.For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-79068256076415315332010-09-19T12:10:00.000-07:002010-09-19T12:17:31.111-07:00FaDU Happy HourJoin members of FaDU for an all ages happy hour at Cafe Solstice -- serving beer, wine, coffee, tea, and some of the best pastries on the Ave. Learn more about FaDU and talk with us about how we can work to make UW a truly public, anti -racist, anti-sexist university.<br /><br />Thursday, Sept 30, 4:30 PM<br />Cafe Solstice<br />4116 University WayFor a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-38673173576091715632010-06-24T10:09:00.000-07:002010-06-24T10:19:33.284-07:00FaDU summer reading!Dear FaDU Friends and Supporters--<br />Over the summer, FaDU is having an open reading group on the university, race, and labor. We are very excited about these readings, and would like to invite anyone to come and participate in the discussions! The first meeting will be next Tuesday at 4 PM at Allegro Cafe. This is our planned time, but if people who really want to come cannot make it there's a possibility for change. We hope to see you there, and please e-mail FaDU if you have any questions! Feel free to invite any interested friends.<br /><br />Act I: critiques of the university<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">June 29</span>: "Like Being Mugged by a Metaphor," a feminist/woman of color critique of university (e-mail faduni@gmail.com if you need this)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 6</span>: another university critique? (still working on this one!!)<br /><br />Act II: effective organizations for movement building<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 13</span>: The Tyranny of Structurelessness http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/hist_texts/structurelessness.html (along with a summary of it, perhaps?)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 20</span>: two chapters from Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement<br /><br />Act III: workplace organizing<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 27</span>: Don Hamerquist Workplace Papers http://www.sojournertruth.net/unionsorganizations.html<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 3</span>: Punching Out - Martin Glaberman<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 10</span>: Soldiers of Solidarity: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1967324,00.html<br /><a href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1967324,00.html" target="_blank"></a>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-54360409675834821762010-06-03T10:05:00.000-07:002010-06-03T10:07:42.304-07:00Members of FaDU Vote No on "Temporary Agreement"<span style="font-family: arial;">As of June 1st, after at least 4 extensions, there has been a "temporary" 1 year agreement with management. Members of UAW 4121 have yet to see this agreement. Members of FaDU, as well as many other rank and file ASE's have decided to vote NO on this temporary agreement. See statement by FaDU below and distribute widely!</span><br />---------------------<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Members of the rank and file labor organization, For a Democratic University, vote NO on the proposed contract between our union, UAW 4121, and University of Washington. We vote no because:</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- We feel this contract does not reflect the desires of members</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- No substantial gains have been made, especially in terms of childcare</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- This contract contains no wage increases or protections against fee increases</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- A weak contract will set a precedent that will weaken the positions of other campus workers</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- We feel contract negotiations lacked democracy and transparency</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- We have not been given adequate time to read, analyze, and debate the proposed settlement</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">- A one-year contract gives UW a year to prepare to weaken our contract next year, when the state of funding for public education may be even worse</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">While we acknowledge the intensive work put forth by the bargaining team, we feel an important opportunity has been lost that reflects the state of labor at large in the United States. These contract negotiations show the inherent problems in business unionism, and the belief that change happens behind closed doors. Furthermore, we disagree with belief of the bargaining team that the power of the strike lies in the threat. FADU believes the power of a strike lies in an actual work stoppage. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">On March 4th and May 3rd, the university was scared not just because Academic Student Employees took action, but because of cross-workplace organizing with custodians, construction workers, and trades workers. Our biggest (and only) gains came in the days before the contract was over, and were likely due in no small part to the mobilization of workers across campus. FADU believes we lost a great opportunity when UAW leadership decided not to strike on May 3 because the contract extensions marked the end of progress (as far as we can tell without direct access to meetings) in negotiations. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">FADU does not take issue with individual members of the bargaining team but rather with the structure of top-down unions that can be undemocratic and tend to serve the interests of management more than workers. However, we do have critiques of the ways in which the bargaining team has acted during these negotiations, in particular not offering open meetings or full disclosure of bargaining sessions, and the series of unsupported ultimatums offered to the university. We demand access for rank-and-file to union resources. We will continue to fight for a democratic union and a democratic university. We will continue to build rank-and-file power to mobilize for a strong contract in the coming year.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Solidarity,</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">For a Democratic University</span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-73175099007427356962010-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:002010-05-06T09:31:39.154-07:00Open Letter to UC Berkeley Hunger StrikersLast Friday, members of MeCHA, RAZA, and other groups at UC Berkeley began a hunger strike with demands that included open access for all students and amnesty for international students, for their chancellor to denounce SB 1070, rehiring of all fired janitors, and amnesty for Wheeler Hall protesters, who were largely women and people of color. They have called on activists and communities of color for support. FaDU, Democracy Insurgent, and International Workers and Students for Justice responded with a letter of support. You can sign their petition and find out more details of their demands here: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/make_chancellor_birgeneau_stand_up_against_sb_1070. We do not have a good resource for updates right now, but you can check out edu-factory.org for new messages, or join that listserv. Updates also coming out over March 4th listserv.<br />------------<br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">**Text of letter--Forward widely**</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Dear hunger strikers at UC Berkeley and supporters,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">As members of Democracy Insurgent, International Workers and Students for Justice, and For a Democratic University--multi-racial worker/student groups dedicated to anti-imperialism, worker rights, and immigrant rights based in the University of Washington as well as the broader Seattle community--we are heartened by your struggles of people of color, women, workers, and students at Berkeley, at the same time as we are disgusted by the manipulation of the deepening crisis by the rulers at Berkeley and beyond. At the University of Washington, we have also been fighting back, across race and gender, and as workers and working class students against cuts that gentrify the University and against police abuse of workers and activists. We denounce the white supremacist, anti-immigrant regime, and those of us who are immigrants fight despite the threat of deportation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Like you, we see the immigrants rights and anti-budget cuts struggles as one, as a shared struggle against neoliberal policies that aim to privatize our universities, split our communities apart, and imprison our youth in jails and ICE detention centers. </span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> On May Day this year we marched with 10,000 others in support of workers rights and against an increasingly repressive and violent anti-immigrant regime. We chanted "Boycott Arizona" and "No borders, no state/no bosses, no hate", in opposition to the racist SB-1070 and the white supremacist, anti-immigrant practices within the state of Washington, including the expanding Tacoma Detention Center, run by the Geo Group, and the newly proposed detention center in downtown Tacoma which would hold up to 1500 prisoners.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">On May 3rd, students, workers, teachers, and community members formed picket lines from 4:30 AM to 2:30 PM at UW to protest budget cuts that have resulted in the loss of at least 850 jobs and have precipitated ever worsening abuse of immigrant workers, in addition to 29% tuition hikes and cuts to essential student services. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> In denouncing SB-1070, we must also recognize that it codifies practices already occurring in Arizona and across the U.S. This law is a continuation of the ongoing attack in this country on immigrant families and workers and other people of color, in the middle east through both direct military occupation and financial support, and around the world in neo-colonial practices.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Ahead of May 1st, Democracy Insurgent, with the support of FaDU and other groups, released a statement linking the struggle against budget cuts to immigrant struggles. This document is available at www.democracyinsurgent.org.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Our groups support all of your demands and deeply respect your efforts. Please keep us updated and let us know what support we can give.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">In struggle,</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Democracy Insurgent</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">International Workers and Students for Justice</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">For a Democratic University</span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-39978452302377146002010-04-28T23:13:00.000-07:002010-04-28T23:16:06.668-07:00UAW Resolution to support strike!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">At tonight's UAW membership meeting, membership passed a resolution calling on the bargaining team to call a strike. In February, membership overwhelmingly approved a strike, but the bargaining team still has to call it for it to be official. So, the resolution below does not mean there will definitely BE a UAW endorsed strike, but it does mean that there is a strong mandate from rank and file! I am sure regardless there will be many ASE's on the picket lines Monday! Also, if you are an undergrad, ASE, or other worker, we encourage you to call the UAW office and tell them you want them to call a strike May 3rd for smaller class sizes, wage increases for TAs and RAs, re-hiring of lay-ed off tutors and writing center employees, and childcare for ASE's. Their number is (206) 633-6080 and you can also e-mail the bargaining team at uaw4121@uaw4121.org. See resolution below:</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br />Resolution of UAW local 4121 membership calling on the bargaining committee to call a strike.<br />04.28.10<br /><br />Whereas UAW Local 4121 and the University of Washington have been in bargaining for two months without reaching a new collective bargaining agreement;<br /><br />Whereas the University of Washington has the financial resources to resolve this labor dispute while making improvements to the benefits and compensation of UAW 4121 members;<br /><br />Whereas the University of Washington’s corporate benefits administrators have made profits off of UAW 4121 members by agreeing to inflated health insurance premiums in order to receive kickbacks from the health insurance carrier;<br /><br />Whereas the University of Washington’s top administration payroll has only increased as vulnerable workers, such as UAW 4121 members, have been forced to shoulder the burden of budget cuts;<br /><br />Whereas the Student Worker Coalition at the University of Washington has called on a strike on May 3 after the expiation of the current UAW 4121 collective bargaining agreement with the University of Washington;<br /><br />Whereas the lead bargainer for the University of Washington, Lou Pisano, circulated an email calling on management to retaliate against employees participating in job actions; thereby directly attempting to silence the membership;<br /><br />Whereas other campus unions, including SEIU 925 and WFSE 1488, have already passed resolutions in support of a UAW 4121 strike.<br /><br />Be it resolved that the membership of UAW 4121 calls on the bargaining committee to exercise the authority granted by the membership by a vote of 90% on February 26th, 2010 to call a strike if an agreement cannot be reached with the University of Washington;<br /><br />Further, the membership urges the bargaining committee to seek strike sanctions from the Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council, increase grassroots efforts to organize for a strike, and continue to reach out to other local unions for support.</span></div>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8249805851241046995.post-15573668468085444502010-04-27T11:15:00.000-07:002010-04-27T11:17:13.362-07:00Letter of Support from rank and file in UAW 2865!<span style="font-family: lucida grande;">April 27 2010</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Open Letter To the Leadership of UAW 4121:</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">We the members of Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU) are writing to express our wholehearted endorsement of the recent letter you received from For a Democratic University (FaDU), and to encourage you to immediately begin grassroots mobilization for a strike beginning on May 3rd. We believe that without a credible threat of a strike, the administration of the University of Washington will not agree to a fair contract.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">AWDU is a recently founded organization which consists of rank and file members of UAW 2865 from the University of California. We here in California have experienced the most severe budget cuts anywhere in the country, and the damage to our university had already been considerable. As you are surely aware, students and some campus unions here at UC have been in full revolt for the entire academic year as the lowest paid employees have been laid off, classes have grown in size and been cut, and ASEs are asked to take on more work responsibilities for no additional pay. We have been following the evolving situation at UW, and understand that conditions are very similar. Indeed, the crisis of public education is a national and international phenomenon. We believe that students, workers, and especially student-workers need to be on the front lines in the struggle against the continual privatization of education. The managers of public universities around the country are increasingly swayed by the logic of the free market and wish to run education like a business. We must be unequivocal in our position that we will not accept this, and that we will fight to defend public education.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Many unions around the world have been complacent for too long, and incorrectly believed that they could merely service their membership by providing regular, if modest, increases in wages and benefits. What this crisis reveals is that if unions do not involve themselves in political fights, even the modest economic gains members have enjoyed for the past couple generations will evaporate. University administrators have been attempting to use the difficult economic situation as a scapegoat for their crisis of priorities and mismanagement of the public good of higher education. Changing this situation requires that students and workers must insist on exercising collective power in determining the structure and content of the university. We already know that the autocratic managers of the university will not listen to us unless we force them to. Since we are left with no choice, then we must use force: we must strike to make our demands heard.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">We would like to second what the members of FaDU said to you in their letter. The power of the strike does not end once you go on strike. Strike mobilization does indeed build power, because when it is done in a democratic manner it empowers people to feel that they can have a say in their own lives. If grassroots mobilization is done effectively, then the actual strike can be an incredibly powerful weapon against privatization and autocratic decision making by management. Each day that we refuse to teach classes, each day that undergraduates, professors, staff and other university workers stand shoulder to shoulder with us on the picket line, our strength builds and we exact a greater symbolic and material toll on the administration.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> The strike not only can help us win a better contract, but it is a method for reconfiguring power relations and therefore for democratizing the university. Democratization is the only means by which we can reconstitute the public character of the university, as management has already shown that they will push ahead with full privatization if left to their own devices.</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">We are in this fight together. When the call for a day of action to defend public education on March 4th grew out of a mass democratic conference here at Berkeley, we were excited to see that students and workers in Washington and around the country took it as an opportunity to take action. This of course is not a coincidence as the crisis of capitalism has affected all of us, albeit in different ways. We need to maintain our common commitment to resisting privatization and ensuring that all people in this country, regardless of race, class, or nation of origin have access to free quality public education, and that the people who make the university work have good, secure jobs and benefits. Now, the call to action has come from the students at UW, who will go on strike on May 3rd in solidarity with ASEs represented by UAW 4121. Therefore we endorse the call for immediate grassroots strike mobilization of the members of UAW 4121, and we stand in solidarity with all students and workers at UW.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">In Struggle,</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Academic Workers for a Democratic Union</span>For a Democratic Universityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13493954771113424612noreply@blogger.com0