Statement of Support for Striking University of California Graduate Research Workers
What do we want as grad student workers? How are we going to get it?
The answer to the first question is probably plural: there are lots of answers. More specifically, what are our priorities as grad student workers? That’s a question that we as a union need to answer because we are a democratic union, with members providing the stuff of our agenda.
The answer to the second question has two parts. First, the simple answer: working through our union. Our union goes after its priorities via the three pillars of union activity: collective bargaining, political action, and organizing.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, the bigger answer: It’s another set of answers that we as a grad student workers union needs to determine.
This Monday, we are holding an education and strategy session focused around building a contract campaign. We need you to be there to help answer these questions.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Contract Campaign Education & Strategy Session
WHEN: Monday, September 21 – doors and food @ 5:30 PM, program at 6:00 PM
WHERE: Memorial Union, TITU
WHY: To determine what we want and how we are going to get it
We’re calling it a “contract campaign” session. But don’t let the title throw you off. A contract is an institutionalization of what we achieve of our priorities in a binding document. But a contract is an end that follows from our work in collective bargaining, political action, and organizing.
Further, these three pillars provide us avenues to achieve things that go beyond a contract. Many things we would want to achieve as priorities can occur outside a contract. But putting together a contract campaign provides a central rallying point and concrete end around which we put in place the means to achieve those priorities.
Winning on a contract campaign and more broadly on our priorities will require an engaged, activated, organized, and mobilized union. Our membership as a union needs to be part of this from the start through the finish, and at every step of the way. As a democratic union, we are committed to our membership not only setting priorities and making big decisions, but also carrying them out. That’s why we need you to be a part of learning about the contours and content of what we can achieve and how as well as a part of strategizing on putting that into place.
So come on out this Monday for the Contract Campaign Education & Strategy Session. We’ll have free food and beverage, some education from union leaders, and a discussion around what we want and how we will get it.
If you have any questions, please let our Co-Presidents Peter Rickman and Katie Lindstrom know. Otherwise, we’ll see you on Monday!
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