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AFT Press Release on the Bailout

September 29, 2008

AFT Sends Letter To Congress on Bailout; Profit from Bailout Should Benefit National Priorities, Not Wall Street Executives

Washington-The American Federation of Teachers said in a letter to congressional leaders today that, since a bailout plan for Wall Street will severely limit the next administration's ability to address serious domestic issues, any profits should be used to address national priorities and not be given to financiers.

"If the bailout is successful and the distressed Wall Street firms become profitable, it should be American taxpayers, not Wall Street executives, who benefit from any profits," said AFT President Randi Weingarten.

Weingarten said any profits should be invested by the next administration in tackling the rising costs of healthcare, energy and higher education. The government also needs to address climbing unemployment rates and declining state and local revenues that are forcing cuts in K-12 education in some states and contributing to a crumbling national infrastructure.

Attached is the letter from AFT President Randi Weingarten to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).


/Wall%20Street%20Bailout.pdf

posted by Tim Frandy

Labor Day

August 31, 2008

We don't work today to honor the struggles of workers who have fought for us, those we fight alongside today, and those we fight for in the future.

Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.

-Abe Lincoln

If capitalism is fair then unionism must be. If men have a right to capitalize their ideas and the resources of their country, then that implies the right of men to capitalize their labor.

-Frank Lloyd Wright

My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing.

-Mother Jones

Ten thousand times has the labor movement stumbled and bruised itself. We have been enjoined by the courts, assaulted by thugs, charged by the militia, traduced by the press, frowned upon in public opinion, and deceived by politicians. 'But notwithstanding all this and all these, labor is today the most vital and potential power this planet has ever known, and its historic mission is as certain of ultimate realization as is the setting of the sun.

-Eugene Debs

What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright.

-Samuel Gompers

We insist that labor is entitled to as much respect as property. But our workers with hand and brain deserve more than respect for their labor. They deserve practical protection in the opportunity to use their labor at a return adequate to support them at a decent and constantly rising standard of living, and to accumulate a margin of security against the inevitable vicissitudes of life.

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

We could go on with more quotations extolling the virtues and victories of the labor movement. Instead, a song...

"There Is Power In the Union" - Billy Bragg

posted by Peter

Saturday's AFT Higher Ed Solidarity Action

August 25, 2008

This Saturday, higher ed unionists from around AFT-Wisconsin came together for a joint action as part of our 2008 political program. Member-activists from the TAA joined with our brothers and sisters from AFT-Wisconsin higher ed locals for a political action around this year's elections.

For a more full round-up of what happened and some context for our political program, be sure to check out a full posting on the TAA Politics blog!

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posted by Peter

Join the Organizing Blitz

August 19, 2008

The Blitz is on! TAA organizers have drafted an ambitious and exciting plan to talk to every member of the TAA during the first three weeks of the semester. These conversations will not only evaluate membership priorities, but they will also help us identify fellow graduate employees who will stand up and fight to win domestic partner benefits and competitive wages. We cannot expect to win that which we do not work for.

If you'd like to win domestic partner benefits and better wages, your help is needed. During the Blitz, you'd be teamed with an experienced organizer, and you'd visit offices of fellow graduate employees a few hours a week (trust me, it's actually fun).

Training sessions for door-to-door organizers will be held on the evening of August 21st from 6-8 at the TAA office, and from 10-2 on August 24th in the Math Lounge, on the top floor of Van Vleck Hall.

In the meantime, get in touch if you're interested. Email the TAA office at taa@taa-madison.org, and let us know you're willing to work a couple hours a week to win domestic partner benefits and competitive wages.

posted by Tim Frandy

Bargaining Session and GMM this Week

April 20, 2008

On Monday at 3pm in Memorial Union, the TAA bargaining team will be meeting with the state for what may potentially be the bargaining session that results in a tentative agreement on a contract. This session has the potential to last late into the evening. The reason that this may happen is because Monday is the last date on which we could bargain and still go through our necessary constitutional procedures for contract ratification and then get the possibly ratified contract to the state for the last legislative session of the fiscal year.

So, the state is pushing hard to get the contract done on Monday, April 21st starting at 3pm. However, the TAA and state positions are still significantly far apart on wage issues, segregated fees, domestic partnership benefits, paid paretnal leave, and a whole host of language issues.

The more TAA members that come to this bargainign session, the greater opportuntiy we have to influence the members of the state team and get them to move towards the TAA's position. Come out and make your voices heard for quite possibly the last bargaining session of the semester on Monday at 3 pm!

The next General Membership Meeting is on Thursday, April 24th with socializing and beer and snacks starting at 5pm and the business starting at 5:30 pm in Memorial Union. Agenda highlights include presentations from elected officer candidates, a bargaining update, reviewing the TAA budget, officer stipends, election of political education committee members, and other goodies. This will be the last GMM of the semester, so come on out to find out what's happened with bargaining and to have a bit of fun.

posted by Mark Supanich

Welcome to the new TAA Website

March 28, 2008

Yes indeed, its the new TAA website, with a complete redesign, and new features like this-here blog and an online calendar. Many thanks to our trusty web-gurus for all the hard work they put in to the redesign.

Check back weekly for new blog entries to find out what's going on in the TAA. while you're perusing the web, jump on over to Facebook and join the TAA Group.

posted by Mark Supanich

 

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