TAA Presidential Transition and Special Election Results

We are writing to let you know Miranda Alksnis stepped down as TAA co-president on August 16th, 2021 for mental health reasons. Two years of Zoom TAA work has taken a toll on all of us, and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who stepped up during this pandemic to support our union work together (whether you are a member, activist, organizer, or officer). It has been so hard, and it makes a material difference that you are here.

The grads organizing in our union right now have such a radical, loving vision. They are building this union to be strong: from the Stewards’ Council members teaching us how to organize, work with love and antiracism in our hearts, and have more safe and productive conflict; to the work being done to revitalize our digital spaces, welcome new grads into our community, and improve membership data; to the organizing being done to build worker power across the university; to the work being done by grads on the Mutual Aid committee to bring aid directly to our community. These threads are the future of the TAA!

The TAA e-board appointed Adrian George as interim co-president to work with John Walker, to ensure that this work was done until our fall election process was complete. The interim co-presidency role is not one of ownership or of “being in charge”, but one of coordination and connection between different committees and organizing groups within the union. All union members play an equally and uniquely valuable role. This particular appointee fits the needs of this role. Adrian George, formerly a rank-and-file TAA member of 3 years, has recently become an active TAA organizer of anti-racist practice, strategic planning, and constitutional reform. Zir presence and dedication to community-building was felt especially during Summer 2021. As interim co-president, Adrian envisions a radically anti-racist union with less bureaucracy and more action, and a community that is intentional and does ground-up, radically democratic organizing. For these reasons, e-board, together with the organizers of Stewards Council and Mutual Aid Committee, felt comfortable recommending and appointing Adrian to the interim role.

In September, we held an open call for nominations to the TAA co-presidential position to serve for the remainder of the 2021-22 term alongside elected co-president John Walker. Adrian was the only candidate who expressed interest. Ze answered questions in a candidate forum at the General Membership Meeting on September 20th. On October 5, 2021, the Elections Committee announced that Adrian George, current interim TAA Co-President, was elected via a General Membership vote to serve as TAA Co-President for the 2021-2022 year. The Ballot Trustees verified that all ballots were cast by eligible voters and that no voter cast more than one ballot throughout the voting period.

In solidarity,

TAA Executive Board