UPDATE: We were so glad to hear that SEIU 503 reached a tentative agreement with the OUS management. Their team put in a ton of hard work, staying at the bargaining table until agreement was reached, at 2:30 AM on Thursday the 26th. We’re proud to support our union sisters and brothers as they work toward a fair contract.
FAQ for SEIU Strike (We will update this post as new information comes in!)
Why the strike vote? SEIU members have been taking the brunt of our state’s fiscal uncertainty for years. They were promised more improvements to their contracts if they separated from other state workers (you may have heard of a contract settlement this summer for some state employees), but that has not materialized. In fact, SEIU employees are asking for reasonable step increases and minimum wages to ensure that members are above poverty level, and protections for temporary workers and from health insurance roll backs. It’s about both bread-and-butter issues and employee rights – and fairness.
Who are represented by SEIU? The SEIU members bargaining right now are classified workers on campus – administrative assistants, greenhouse workers, maintenance workers, library workers, and many others. In other words – they are the people who ensure the day-to-day operation of our campus. They are essential, and they deserve fair treatment.
When will the strike occur? At current, SEIU members have voted to authorize a strike, should the bargaining team feel it is necessary. The strike date is currently set for September 30, if no improvements in bargaining are seen by that date.
What can we do? As fellow unionists, we want all our members to stand in solidarity with SEIU during these times. We cannot actually strike, but we can choose in our capacity as students to support their efforts to reach settlement without striking. We encourage all our members, in their capacity as student activists, to come out and assist SEIU in the following pre-strike events, aimed at facilitating a settlement before a strike is called:
Tuesday 9/24, Wednesday 9/25, and Thursday 9/26 at noon: distribute flyers on your lunch hour as new students are moving into the dorms
Wednesday 9/25, Thursday 9/26, and Friday 9/27 at 7am: picket Kerr administration building before you go to work
Saturday 9/28, 9am – Noon: distribute flyers at the Beavers Football game.
In Solidarity,
CGE
(last updated: 9/26/2013)
Hopefully we will get through this without a strike. We truly want to be here for our students. Thank you all for your support.
Gloria O’Brien, president SEIU sub-local 083