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Organizational Structure

Elected Positions

Each spring, the TAA membership elects union officers to carry out the day to day business of the union. Any member is eligible to run for office and the term is one year. The elected officers of the TAA sit on the Executive Board along with the chairs of the TAA's standing committees. The Executive Board meets monthly to discuss union business, make recommendations to be considered at membership meetings and take actions in areas or on issues that the membership has designated.

The officers for the 2007-08 school year are:

Committees

One great way to ensure a strong union is to volunteer your time, creativity and skills by serving on or chairing a union committee!

The chairs or VPs of each committee sit on the Executive Board with the elected officers of the union. The TAA has seven standing committees that plan and oversee various aspects of the life of the union. They are Contract Enforcement, Diversity, Education, Labor Solidarity, Organizing, Political Education and Publicity.

What's involved in being a committee member or committee chair?

TAA Committees

Contract Enforcement

Chairs: Samaa Abdurraqib and Nick Murphy

The Contract Enforcement Committee (CEC) is devoted to making sure that all graduate assistants have access to the hard-won rights of our contract. If you have a problem in the workplace, contact this committee right away; CEC members will work with you to help find solutions. If you're interested in helping your fellow workers, you may enjoy working on the CEC. There is an ongoing need for more member-volunteers for this very important work!

Diversity

Chairs: Sherry Johnson and Rasha Diab

The Diversity committee strives to promote a climate that is inclusive and welcoming to all members of the union, university and Madison communities. Past projects have included working to increase options for meaningful diversity training, making childcare available for every TAA General Membership Meeting, working to oppose the statewide ban on civil unions and same sex marriages, and holding an annual Eagle Heights Halloween Party. New members are encouraged to develop new projects as needs and issues develop on campus.

Education

The Education Committee is dedicated to all issues related to undergraduate instruction. In the past, this committee has conducted surveys of TA teaching methods, hosted brown-bag discussions on pedagogy, reviewed class-sizes in various departments in conjunction with the contract enforcement committee.

Labor Solidarity

Chair: Sarah Manski

The Labor Solidarity Committee consists of members who are interested in what goes on in other unions and in the broader labor movement. The TAA can send up to 10 delegates to the South Central Federation of Labor (SCFL) - so the more committee members, the better! SCFL delegates represent the TAA one meeting a month (7pm on the third Monday of each month). Other committee tasks include keeping abreast of labor issues both regionally and nationally in order to inform and mobilize TAA members (e.g., email petitions, donations, letter-writing campaigns, marching on picket lines).

Organizing

VP: Jonathan Horowitz

The Organizing Committee is part of the Stewards' Council. It is tasked by the Stewards' Council with planning the union's long-term organizing goals and strategies. While many members of the Organizing Committee have experience as departmental stewards, it's not a requirement - anyone interested in the work of recruiting new members and mobilizing current members is welcome! The Organizing Committee tends to meet more frequently than other committees: the time commitment is approximately 15 hours/month. If you're able to make this slightly larger time commitment, you'll be helping to plan ways to make the whole union stronger.

Political Education (TAA-PEC)

Chair: Andrew Kraiss

The Political Education Committee serves to inform members about electoral and legislative issues of local, state and national importance. Political Education sends out candidate surveys at election time to help membership decide on endorsements. The committee has also coordinated major lobbying and letter-writing campaigns in support of our contract battles. If local and state politics are your thing, becoming active in the Political Education Committee is a great way to help your union!

Publicity

Chair: Peter Brinson

The Publicity Committee is responsible for helping to disseminate information to members via occasional newsletters and the TAA website. Committee members also keep the union's issues in the press by writing and distributing press releases, photographing TAA public events, and coordinating with other committees for event publicity. This is very important "behind the scenes" work. If you'd rather write about a rally than speak at one, the publicity committee needs you!

Stewards

Co-Chairs of Stewards Council: Tim Frandy and Sarah Niebler

Departmental Stewards provide members with a friendly face who knows the ins and outs of the union and simple contract questions in each academic department or building. A steward also focuses on recruiting and organizing new members in the department and posts flyers and spreads the word about upcoming meetings or social events.

Stewards are the first point of contact for rank and file members if any questions regarding the union, job situations, or contract questions arise. Stewards typically convene every three weeks in the form of the Stewards Council to discuss issues that have arisen and to develop and implement organizing and social events. The Stewards Council, also may introduce motions at membership meetings without the need for a second. If you are a TA or a PA in a department without a steward, please consider becoming one. The time commitment is approximately 5 hours a month and it affords you the opportunity to be a leader in your department and interact with other graduate students from various departments in the Stewards Council.