communications

4/30/19 EC Agenda

Facilitator: Clint Mattox
Note-Taker: Emory Colvin
Time Keeper:
Vibes Watcher: Micknai Arefaine
Attendance: Lzz Johnk, Val Fraser, Kali Doten, Erin Abernethy, Micknai Afefaine, Clint Mattox, Alex Riccio, Nick Fisher, Erin Kanzig

Meeting began: 5:34

Slack Approvals:

  • Newsletter #11
  • Starting our own “Green Girl” supply of reusable plateware.
  • Signed on to a solidarity statement with teachers in New Mexico.
  • Approved GMM agenda.
  • Approved Hustle campaign for GMM.
  • Approved Winter meeting notes for the website.
  • Approved Brew Off AME.

Check-Ins: What do you feel you would have liked to know about your role/expectations on the EC prior to joining? For folks coming into the EC, or not, what do you wish you knew about OSU prior to attending graduate school? What is your costume for the convention/brew-off?

Ballots? Did everyone get one? Yes, we got it sorted out.

Changes in Labor Management: We’ve been pushing for a while to get labor management fully staffed and they are now at that point. In addition to the folks we’ve been working with (after some departures, just Viki and Bill Sexton), we now have four more people working there (two senior officers and two officers). The changes in department structure are going to affect how we interact with them. They put forth two options:

  • When one of the new units (centers of excellence? I think that’s what they’re calling them?) has an issue with someone in our bargaining unit, they can be handled by a single officer; or
  • Each center/unit can have its own officer that works with all of the unions but stays consistent with others during the regular meetings of the whole labor management team.

They have also moved administration of our insurance from Student Health Services to the HR benefits office without notifying us.

  • Want to set up a meeting with whoever is now doing the insurance to get off on a good start.

Financial Investment Proposal (Creation of Summer CGE Position): One of our stewards from SWLF and current Member Organizer, Emalydia, has proposed that we create a temporary summer position through CGE for funding a graduate employee during their summer funding gap.  

Related: the feedback so far on the election ballots is heavily leaning toward the Finance Committee doing a combination of mutual funds and CDs, but almost all comments state that they would be disappointed if any investments were made in fossil fuel companies.

  • Want to make sure we don’t end up trying to spend all of our money – we still need to have some reserves and we should invest them instead of letting it sit stagnant in the credit union.
  • If we like this, might be better as a “scholarship” – less taxes/employment complications, but still will help folks.
  • Maybe get our new organizer to research the issues around employment/internships/scholarships.
  • Look at the 5-year plan, make sure we take that into account. We don’t want to do this and then end up with issues later that affects our full time staff.
  • With Emalydia, come up with a proposal to present to the steward council.
  • Maybe a scholarship for someone to attend the union summer?
  • Want to make sure it’s not just money that goes back to the same people that are already really involved.
  • What about a trust for our reserves? Allows us to pay things out for scholarships, etc. Maybe also for the hardship fund. An endowment?

Union Summer: Week-long summer “teach-in” series we could hold on union organizing for the broader Corvallis community in late July. Who should we try to partner with over this project? Westminster

Update on CARDV training: Erin has reached out to CARDV about hosting a training on trauma-informed approaches to member conversations/grievances. What’s the status of this? Didn’t get back to us on changing the date. Currently May 21 from 5 to 7 June 4, 5-7. Erin is going to follow up on having it that way or two weeks later.

Reminder- May Day Event: Tomorrow (May Day) at 6:30 the Wobblies, Tenants United, DSA, and CGE are hosting a potluck and screening of This Is What Democracy Looks Like. Keep thinking about this. Facilitation can be an important part of this.

Facilitating Voting at GMMs: We practiced a little bit of improv at our last GMM getting a “straw poll” from attending members on what to do with financial investments. We should consider setting a standard for how these sorts of votes could be conducted at future GMMs.  

  • How we vote is unclear. Should be consensus, but we aren’t ready to do that for a GMM, since most people don’t have much experience with consensus decision making.
  • Also GMM is not a good representation of all members.
  • Voting online includes more people, but GMMs aren’t well-attended because no one sees the benefit.
  • Can use GMMs to facilitate dialog, etc, not just for decision making so that more folks are included in the decision making. Workshops? One agenda item?

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