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!