We have a full agenda with descriptions of our items available at: Meeting Agenda SC 2/20/18
Department Updates:
-On-going search to find a Botany & Plant Pathology department head
-Soils had a bullying seminar, will report progress of this as it continues.
-CEOAS recently met with students here and at Hatfield to update them on a department level audit and external review. Ongoing.
-MIME is interviewing faculty candidates; trying to be inclusive
-Materials science: people are still concerned about working hours, but positive feedback about housing committee
-Mason is the only grad student in his program, so feels a bit isolated; needs to work out how can improve the department for grads
-invitation to join in the push to redesign wall of room 201 in Waldo to promote more representative display of major anthropological figures in the field.
AFT-OR Convention & Resolutions:
-20 of 35 delegates have accepted their elections
-AFT-OR convention is the opportunity to convene with other locals to our parent union and present, argue, and vote on resolutions which will direct the strategy of AFT-OR.
-need to decide on resolutions for the convention
-need to form a resolution committee, form needs to be set up to collect ideas for resolutions, members need to vote
-resolution committee 4-5 people formed within next week— notifications will be sent through email
-will need to have examples of how the resolutions are written and the scope that they can cover
Call to walk out in protest of gun violence—Mar 14:
Our stewards decided they wish to support high school students in these efforts, as they are leading the charge. We will reach out to any of our connections with high schools in the area, and anyone with connections should feel empowered to help us make these forms of outreach and put our union in communication with high school students or faculty they know.
Our stewards also decided to disseminate information regarding the plans for a walkout to our membership, and two of our stewards volunteered to help write this information. Some also discussed potentially blowing bubbles during the walkout to create a sense of fun at the same time as emphasizing the serious nature of the protest.
Our stewards also wanted our union to reflect on the reasons we were able to come to a quick consensus on this specific political issue, whereas in the past we have failed to take a position on political matters which impact minorities and marginalized people. It was acknowledged that we are heading in the right direction as a union, but the sentiment was shared that we should reflect on our mission as a union and what we want our union’s identity to be.
Are we a service union, business-minded and only narrowly involved in the interests of improving wages and benefits for our members, or are we a social union that recognizes the full life of a worker’s experience extends beyond the workplace making social issues union issues?
CGE Alcohol Policy:
We have continued to discuss the appropriateness of alcohol at our social functions. Our union has made strides in increasing the number of events which do not have alcohol, including our GMMs, and we had a discussion on whether our BBQs should have alcohol or not. This conversation will continue and no decision was settled on yet, but we have been productive in our discussions and desire to promote inclusivity as a whole.
We will make a decision at our next steward council meeting in Spring.
Bargaining Update:
Show up to bargaining! Happening every Thursday from 12-1 at Westminster House (101 NW 23rd St).
Our bargaining blog gives updates on what’s happening, https://www.cge6069.org/category/bargaining_blog/
We will potentially be submitting language on health insurance at our next session, so spread the word and attend as more people that show up increases our bargaining power to get the best contract we can!
Call to Support GEO (Chicago grad union):
-email membership with the info so they can take individual action
-contingency donation from CGE if the strike lasts longer than a defined period of time
-move the information to the parent organization (AFT) to get their support
-solidarity photos, phone banking on GEO’s requested days of action
-CGE has a solidarity fund; we have contributed to other unions: GTFF, Burgerville, SEIU, etc.
Reports on new committees:
-Health and Safety: please report all of your injuries! Professors who have good H&S mentality, encourage them to join the committee. If you don’t know how to report your injuries, find out.
-Housing: met; decided to not have meetings unless necessary; committee has 3-pronged approach to the housing crisis: 1) improve tenant rights, 2) stimulate development of housing cooperatives in Corvallis/may partner with a non-profit to establish housing, 3) establish a trust through current bargaining endeavors; looking for members
-Diversity & Inclusion learning group: met; would like more folks to join; next meeting is Mar 6 from 4-5pm at a TBD cultural center
Feedback on Steward Communication Committee:
-positive feedback so far
-need to figure out how to get more stewards able and empowered to engage (possibly livestream future meetings?).
ASOSU results:
-Emory is on the ASOSU; Oswalt has been removed by a 90% majority, but ~300 people did vote for him
Closing statement and final remarks:
-We will be receiving an email from Sami Al-Abdrabbuh, an active CGE member, on his current initiatives with the School Board.