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Organizing Does Not Take a Summer Vacation

July 1, 2009

Organizing is at the heart of unionism, and it is a vital part of our local. As our union is our vehicle for collective action and power, organizing is what drives that forward. The activism of our members makes our union work, and we need everyone to be involved. This summer, our organizing program continues to build, and there are lots of ways to get involved. Read more below...

Connecting with fellow workers, talking about union and workplace issues, and identifying other potential activists and leaders are some of the things that are crucial to our organizing program. But running a good organizing program requires a lot more than just having members go out and talk to fellow workers. We need to have a good plan, we need to educate and train, we need to have good information, and we need to have a process. So while much of what occurs with our organizing program in the way of contacting fellow workers occurs during the school year, when everyone is on campus, the summer is a prime time to work on the background of organizing in addition to doing things like office visits, department meetings, activist trainings, and education sessions.

This summer, we have two main avenues through which to get involved, our Organizing Committee and our Orientation Committee. Every year, new and current teaching and project assistants go through departmental and other forms of orientation. This is perhaps our best, and certainly our most concentrated, way of reaching literally hundreds if not thousands of fellow grad workers at the UW. Putting together a great orientation organizing plan is key to having success bringing new and current workers into the union and getting them plugged in to who we are and what we do. This is also the time when many grad workers first learn about our union and even what a union is. So our Orientation Committee is working to put together this organizing plan, figure out logistics and details, and set in motion our work to organize grad workers through their orientation. The more people involved with the work of the Orientation Committee, the better we can reach the grad workers in our bargaining unit. So we want to invite you to get involved. Contact Orientation Committee co-chairs Tim Frandy and Peter Rickman to get involved yourself.

Our Organizing Committee is the standing body we have to run full-time organizing throughout the year. Because we have ambitious goals and objectives with our organizing, the work of our Organizing Committee over the summer is vital to running good program between September and May. The Organizing Committee is working this summer to develop more fully its action plan, conduct research and gather information, and begin with core elements like training and education of activists and even beginning to contact fellow members in organizing. Organizing is how we build relationships, keep members engaged in the union, and move forward our programmatic agenda. This is a great way for everyone to be involved because anyone can do it and we will ensure that all activists can be involved in a meaningful way for themselves. To get involved yourself, contact our temporary Organizing Committee leader Tim Frandy or Co-Presidents Katie Lindstrom and PPeter Rickman.

posted by Webmaster

We Are Not Alone: the TAA and AGEL

We are not alone.

While the TAA was the first graduate workers union to form, many other grad workers at many other schools have unionized.  We are part of a larger grad worker and academic labor movement.  Every fall and spring, a group of grad unions get together as part of the Alliance of Graduate Employee Locals (AGEL).  Recently, a contingent of TAA activists traveled to the spring 2009 edition of the AGEL conference.  Read more on the grad union movement and the AGEL conference below…

Many of the grad union locals around the country are, like us, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (a union of professional workers that includes workers ranging from university faculty to doctors, lawyers, K12 teachers, and public employees at large).  AGEL is a part of AFT; in addition to AFT grad locals, there are other grad locals affiliated with other national unions like the UAW, and we are part of a similar grouping of grad locals through the Coalition of Graduate Employee Unions (CGEU).  The annual CGEU conference is coming up this summer.  

When a semi-annual AGEL meeting takes place, it is an opportunity for fellow grad union activists to come together to share stories and experiences, swapping both ideas and best practices.  It is also a chance to proverbially rally the troops and re-dedicate ourselves as activists to building a grad labor movement and an academic labor movement.  These AGEL conferences are great experiences to build and develop leadership and vision for our local, and they are also a great time with cool people.

At this spring’s AGEL, which took place in Eugene, OR and was hosted by the GTFF at the University of Oregon, there were plenary sessions, workshops, and discussions, led by fellow grad union activists.  Our TAA contingent both participated and led some of these sessions, learning from others but also sharing what we can to build this movement.  Compared to many other grad locals, as noted by some first-time AGEL attendees from the TAA, our own union local is relatively advanced.  From locals in Florida, an anti-union “right-to-work” state, who struggle to have enough members paying dues to sustain collective bargaining, to a local at Ohio State seeking to even have the right to organize a union and bargain collectively, and even to established locals going through the normal travails of grad unionism, there are different kinds of struggles and varying degrees of advancement in other grad locals.  

We learned about some of the strategies and tactics as well as programs run by other grad employee locals around collective bargaining, such as contract campaigns, on particular issues like threats to tuition waivers, and in the political process like electing and working with pro-labor public officials.  Seeing that other union locals do in fact do things differently, and with varying degrees of success, enables us to evaluate how we can improve our work.  And as much value as can be found in formal sessions, much of the value gleaned from a conference like AGEL comes from informal conversations with leaders from other grad locals.  

In addition to the great knowledge and understanding that comes from attending a conference like AGEL, such events are great ways for union members to see the bigger picture of the grad labor movement that goes beyond on our campus, our own classrooms and labs.  They are also great ways for union members to become activists, for activists to develop into leaders.  To that end, the TAA contingent worked to convince the assembled AGEL delegates to consider holding one of the next two conferences on our campus with the TAA as the host.  Hopefully soon, we can have dozens of our members attend an AGEL, building the pool of engaged activists learning from and participating in the conference, building the benefits for our union.  Stay tuned for more information.

Sending member-activists to AGELs builds our union, builds our capacity for action, and builds our leadership, all vital to deliver for our members, rank-and-file members making the union work for rank-and-file members.  


posted by Webmaster

Bargaining and Contract Update

Currently, our 2007-2009 contract has not yet been ratified and we continue to work under an extension of our 2005-2007 contract. Some developments with the 2007-2009 contract have occurred, and our 2009-2011 negotiations are beginning.

To begin, it is important to know how we negotiate our contracts. We bargain with both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Office of State Employment Relations (OSER). After we negotiate a contract, the state legislature's Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JoCER, or "joker") has to ratify it with a vote. The 2007-2009 contract was settled with OSER and the UW back in December of 2008 and ratified by our rank-and-file membership that month as well. After this, our position and message to JoCER and OSER had been "Ratify, ratify, ratify." We wanted the contract implemented as soon as possible so that we would all see the pay raises we deserve and for the new workplace protections to go into effect. In addition to pay raises for the subsequent paychecks, we would be entitled to something akin to "backpay" for the hours we have worked during which the contract would apply (anything during the 2007-2009 contract cycle). 

However, OSER did not put together legislative language for a few months and by the time they sent it along to JoCER, the economic crisis manifested itself into a state fiscal crisis. What the TAA heard from some of the legislators on JoCER gave pause; they were uncertain that our duly-negotiated contract would even get passed because of the fiscal and political climate. It is really more of the latter; the money to pay for our 2007-2009 contract was budgeted and allocated two years ago. We are due raises and "backpay" and it will happen; right now it is a matter of political circumstances. 

If the contract did not get passed by JoCER, we would be back at square one, a place at which we did not want to be. All along, the pay raises and "backpay" would be retroactive, so we have not lost that, and we will not lose that; however, the other non-economic contract protections are not in place without an adopted agreement and are not retroactive. For the time being, we are playing a waiting game. It is expected that JoCER will take up the contract for a vote sometime this summer, when they can guarantee to us that it will pass. Throughout this process, the legislators on JoCER proved to be our allies, looking out for our best interests and getting a contract passed. We have every reason to believe that they will continue along this path and stand up for us as unionized grad workers. 

When the contract is ratified by the state legislature, we will receive our raises and "backpay," in addition to new contractual protections as workers. But to ensure that all of us who are due "backpay" receive it, we strongly encourage you to keep your contact information with UW up to date. They will be administering the "backpay." If you worked during the last two years when our 2007-2009 contract would have been in place and had an appointment lasting through April of this year, you are due this money, and our union will be fighting to ensure that you receive it. Having your information current with UW will guarantee that you receive what is your due as a union member. 

As a quick aside to this 2007-2009 contract business, we should mention that there have been rumors of the state government asking union workers to give back the raises negotiated in their contracts. As you have read above, we do not have a 2007-2009 contract in place. So we have not been asked to give back any raises. If we are asked to do so, this is a change in the contract, something that our rank-and-file membership must decide democratically. 

While our 2007-2009 contract situation develops, our next contract for the 2009-2011 period is proceeding, if slowly at that. Negotiations are not yet scheduled, as we and the other state employee unions are wary of the impact of the fiscal crisis on upcoming negotiations. 

Based upon the results of the membership survey and the formation of contract negotiation plans at our April General Membership Meeting, the Bargaining Team has worked throughout the summer to formulate our proposal for negotiations, tentatively scheduled to begin sometime this fall. As noted above, this is tentative because of the state budget issues, as well as because we are a relatively small unit of workers compared to many other state employee unions who tend to set the pace in negotiations on things like wages and health insurance premiums. 

However, our pay-rates are a combination of money allocated from the state as well as "market money" allocated by the UW to improve our take-home pay. We are hopeful that building a good working relationship with Chancellor Biddy Martin, as well as a shared concern between our union and the UW administration around improving grad worker pay, improving the competitiveness of the university, will lead to gains in wages, among other topics. Our contract negotiations will also include proposals for improvements in working conditions, in addition to the economic considerations. We look forward to productive negotiations into and through the fall, working toward agreement on a new contract.

As is the practice of our union, our bargaining platform and strategy is a product of the input from our rank-and-file members. So please feel free, even invited, to offer up your thoughts. As importantly, the success of our union in bargaining and otherwise is the product of membership involvement and activism. Good contracts are not won solely at the negotiating table. So if you would like to be involved in bargaining and contract negotiations, or with our organizing around bargaining and other topics, please be in touch. For matters relating to the contract, please speak with our Vice President of Bargaining, Kevin Gibbons. For other things TAA, please be in touch with our Co-Presidents, Katie Lindstrom and Peter Rickman.

posted by Webmaster

Swarm and Nest: Van Vleck

April 21, 2009

Last Wednesday (4/15) we brought a small crew to Van Vleck for organizing. Yet again, we (myself included) were held back by colds and flus. 3 organizers put in 9 hours of organizing time, speaking to 19 members, and signing up 2 new members.

For the semester, then, we have 36 different organizers, 170 organizing hours, 176 member contacts, 23 new members, 38 new organizers, and 55 future activists.

Swarm and Nest this week is canceled. Instead, we are organizing next Monday AND Tuesday (4/27, 4/28), in preparation of the semester's most important General Membership Meeting. We're still ironing out the details of where we'll set up shop, but we'll keep you posted.

Please consider taking an hour or two and helping us promote the General Membership Meeting. It'll be faster conversations, and a big presence of organizers will help ensure that this will be the most important and well attended GMM in recent memory!

posted by Tim Frandy

General Membership Meeting, April 28, Pres House

April 10, 2009

Your final General Membership Meeting of the semester will be held from 5-7 pm at the Pres House on Tuesday, April 28th. Mark your calendars and plan to come.

It is the most important membership meeting of the semester. We will be building a Bargaining Platform at the meeting, which will be used to negotiate the 09-11 contract for TAs and PAs during very, very bad financial times.

We need a packed room if we expect to create a Platform which reflects the will of TAA members like you. If we want to make gains during an economic crisis, we need to bargain smart, and we need your help.

Bring a friend. Bring two friends. And bring yourself. It's YOUR union.

posted by Tim Frandy

Swarm and Nest: Humanities

After a nasty virus went through the TAA office last week, TAA organizers went out, some hacking and sniffing, to Humanities last Monday. With 7 organizers, we put in 13 organizer hours, had 18 conversations, signed up one new member, and found two more organizers.

For the semester, that makes 35 different organizers, 161 organizing hours, 157 member contacts, 21 new members, 38 new organizers, and 55 future activists.

Next Wednesday, we're going to Van Vleck to organize in Math. We need 1) a very large attendance at the April 28th General Membership Meeting to ensure we make a great, informed, and member-driven Bargaining Platform for the 09-11 contract, and 2) to look for a people interested in running for the office of Treasurer (Jason, our current Treasurer, will unfortunately be leaving us). Without a TAA Treasurer lined up, we'll be in a world of hurt.

The following week's Swarm and Nest (scheduled for 4/23 in Computer Sciences) has been canceled. Instead, we will be organizing on Monday and Tuesday, April 27-28 (locations TBD) to ensure a large turnout for the April General Membership Meeting.

Send an email to me (twfrandy@gmail.com) if you have an hour or two to organize in math, and make sure that the TAA can keep paying its bills!

posted by Tim Frandy

Spring Elections This Tuesday, April 7!

April 4, 2009

Spring elections are just around the corner, and because of lowered turnout in Spring Elections, TAA members have the capacity to make a big voice!

Where do I vote in Madison?

TAA members are encouraged to email TAA Political Education Committee Chair Peter Rickman for a full list of TAA endorsed candidates in their polling district.

Go Vote!

posted by Tim Frandy

 

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