CGE Executive Council Meeting Minutes – February 10, 2015
In attendance: Alisha Jones, Thomas Morrill, Shannon Andrews, Béatrice Moissinac, Gloria Ambrowiak, Kris Osterloh; Angela McClendon
Meeting called to order at 6:05 PM
Minutes from 2-3-2015 Meeting – Approved
Email Decisions – (1) Approved ordering our new checks through Costco this time. (2) Approved Ashley using Professional Development funds to go to AGEL.
Fair Share Complaint Update – After a bit more discussion here, email response has been finalized. Shannon will send it this evening.
Ed Ray Meeting Debrief – We met with Ed Ray, Dave Blake, and Brenda McComb last Thursday. 1. October 1st start dates: We reiterated that start dates really need to be September 16th. The OSU admin team agrees. We also reiterated that the higher-ups need to be sure to communicate such changes to college and department admin staff. 2. Family caucus goals: We mentioned we’ve heard a lot about the lack of child care availability and funding assistance. The admin team said that it is a city-wide problem and they are interested in talking with the city about zoning regulations that cause barriers to increased services. There is talk of a new dedicated area for child care services on campus. 3. Parking permit payroll deduction: We brought up that grad employees should be able to use payroll deductions like faculty/staff can, since we’re employees as well, but we’ve been told we’re just in the system as students so it won’t work. But it looks like this is a decision someone is making, rather than an unchangeable setting in grad employees’ files. Thomas will follow up. 4. COLAs and summer fees: We reminded them about the negotiated changes that we expect to be forthcoming later this year. They assured us that they’re on it.
Anthropology – Thomas has heard about some continuing issues in this department (and the whole School of Language, Culture, & Society) related to funding for the negotiated changes, specifically COLAs this time. He’ll work to schedule some meetings with SLCS grads and leadership.
Social Hour Debrief – This was last Thursday. Turnout was decent? Next one is Wednesday the 25th. Béatrice will anchor it.
AFT-OR Lobby Day – This is tomorrow in Salem. GTFF is sending a lot of people. CGE is sending 6!
Steward Council Meeting – This is next Monday. We’ll have Taco Bar for dinner! Stephany will make her famous Spanish rice; Gloria has the rest handled. Béatrice has sent an initial email over the reps list; she’ll send more reminders over the next few days. Agenda: Election committee (with info we got at Winter School); More communication over the email list (to lead to more efficient meetings); Convention resolutions (any updates); Tuition remission issues (status update); Check-in on personal goals (see if anyone wants to brag a little); Officer position descriptions/recruiting; Meetings with department heads and/or faculty meetings.
GTA Mentors Program – Béatrice received an email about this. A few officers mention having seen it already from their departments. She will suggest the people from the program send it over the Social List.
Trivia Night – This is on Thursday. Officers will continue to work on putting together their teams. Gloria feels pretty well prepared to host. She’ll email a reminder tomorrow. Kris will be in charge of getting cider/CO2/ice and the popcorn maker to the Senior Center.
Darkside “We Are Wisconsin” Film Showing – SEIU has not yet been able to acquire the necessary $150 educational license for showing the movie publicly. The EC approves CGE purchasing this if SEIU is unable to make it happen this week. Publicity: As soon as the license is acquired, we’ll send info out to the Social List, the fb group, ASAP!, the Barometer, the College Democrats group, etc.
Teach-In – This will be on Wednesday the 25th. The AAUP agreed to match our $100 toward pizzas from American Dream (an official MU vendor). Alisha attended today’s planning meeting and will go to next week’s meeting as well; she will confirm the room location. They asked us to find a CGE member to be on a panel as a grad student representative; Alisha will ask Nikki Wiseman if she’s interested.
Student Debt Assembly – ASAP will be holding a debt assembly on March 3rd. There’s going to be a march from the People’s Park, past Kerr, and to the MU Quad. We’ll send this out over the Social List. Shannon will ask Sam for clarification on what kind of “visual aids” they’re looking for.
Appointment Letters – Shannon reviewed the newly updated appointment letters: they look better! Thomas will email Dave Blake about updating the tuition remission policy on the OSU website (which is still partying like it’s 1999) and getting more info onto the website about tuition and fees.
Social Security and FICA Deductions – It’s true that grad employees are not paying into these, and thus are mostly unable to receive, eg, disability benefits. However, there really isn’t anything CGE can do about it, as it’s a federal-level policy. We’ll talk about this more next week when Ashley’s back.
Accountability Review –
Organizing: Family issues caucus happened! Béatrice has begun talking with the Cultural Centers on campus; she was directed to talk with some other people. (Drew also said he was interested in working on this; Béatrice will talk with him.) International student caucus: at the Winter GMM, some people mentioned the way UO threatened int’l students with deportation during the GTFF strike; we need to be sure the Strike Committee includes info about int’l student rights in CGE’s strike handbook. Organizing in low-membership areas: we now have a potential steward in nuclear engineering! SC/MD/GMM/Delegate elections all happened. 63% membership: we don’t have February numbers yet but Béatrice is confident that we must be getting pretty close. Benefits letter developed: we’re not sure what this means.
Social: Game night happened. Intramural teams happened (a bit); Shannon has an idea for making them better next time.
Communications: Review website: this is a reminder to periodically make sure the website is up to date and functioning properly. Goal of 800 people on the CGE FB group: we’re currently around 760; Béatrice now teaches Kris how to add people. Story in the AFT-OR Federation News: Kris will talk with Ashley about pitching a story from our family caucus.
Bargaining: Dep’t head meetings: we’ll ask the SC to brainstorm ideas for agendas for their areas. Begin forming next B-Team: Thomas has a couple people in mind and will work on some more at Convention. ASOSU GATF director: we’ll ask Drew if he’s able to help us get a meeting set up to talk about getting this position back in the BU. Bargaining retreat: creation of continuity document needs to happen! Research into hourly workers and “fellows”: this has been happening.
Financial: Audit and fair share notice happened. Budget review: Angela will email Drew about getting this started. Dues restructure: committee was seeded at GMM.
External Relations: Adopt-a-highway: this has been shelved for now, but the person Ashley talked with about it suggested CGE could adopt a bike path; we like this idea! AGEL call: Drew participated in the January one; Alisha will call into the next one this Thursday. CLC meeting: Alisha has been going to these and was just appointed as a trustee. Winter School: we sent lots!
Brew-Off: Thank-you notes were sent out.
AFT-OR: Percaps reform: we submitted an amendment; need to talk with our allies. Resolutions: being drafted; SC and GMM approved of ideas. Meet with GTFF and UA: not happened yet.
Office/Upkeep: Photos on website: Ashley got a lot onto the CGE flickr account; we have permission from Rob to add some to the website, so Kris & Ashley will work on this. Accountability check-in: scheduled for December, but we’re doing it now. Better late than never! Child care subsidy request: link goes out in GMM announcements. Area membership numbers on boards: hasn’t happened yet; once Angela has time to process the February directory, she’ll get the necessary information to Ashley to put the board report together.
Meeting ended at 7:45 PM