Strike Day 3 (10/5)
If you have questions at any point, don’t be afraid to stop by the picket line and talk to one of our organizers! We know there is a LOT of information going out about the strike, and want to clarify wherever we can.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Tomorrow morning, we once again need as many people as possible to picket at entrances from 5am-10am. At 5:30am, Clark will attempt another concrete delivery that we need to shut down. From now on, the first morning shift will always go from 5:15am-7am; please choose 1 morning to come and sign up (bargaining unit members here; supporters and allies here).
We also need to cover fall break. If you are around for any part of the break, PLEASE take picket shifts, including a 5:15-7am on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. (We will still be picketing on Sunday, just starting later - updates to follow.) Unit members from all departments: we NEED you out on the picket lines at ALL TIMES.
Bargaining Meeting Update
Today, in our bargaining meeting, Management gave us an economic proposal that they have now shared with the Clark community. While we have forced them—in a matter of days—to cede major concessions, we must not neglect the details and have to continue fighting for the final outstanding issues. These we have detailed below:
Fundamentally, our campaign is about four demands: 1. A living wage now for all graduate workers, 2. Affordable healthcare for all graduate workers and their dependents, 3. Benefits commensurate with dignity on the job, and 4. Ensuring the long-term success of our union beyond this first contract. The strike is working, and we have a responsibility to build on our momentum to ensure that all four planks are achieved:
“Living wage NOW”, not “living wage January”. Our salary floor MUST be a living wage, be effective from the start of the fall semester, and include meaningful improvements for all of our members. Beyond the first year, we need substantive cost of living increases to protect these gains.
We need healthcare coverage for dependents. Our members are adults with caregiving responsibilities. Dependent coverage is essential for parents and grad workers caring for spouses.
Dignified benefits and working conditions. We need the ability to formally file grievances (such as the currently rampant abusive practice of unpaid work hours), a standard aspect of union contracts that Management has attempted to undermine. We also need to enshrine protection from exploitative fees, as Management at other universities often use high student fees as a loophole to whittle away contract gains from student-workers. And, we need a comprehensive harassment and anti-discrimination policy that respects our position as workers with the right to union representation.
Protecting the long-term success of our union. Clark continues to include provisions in the contract that would create barriers to union participation for graduate workers, such as blocking our union’s access to necessary bargaining unit information and limiting our Local 170 representative’s access to campus.
With the meeting today, we are a major step closer to achieving our goals which are fair, doable, and urgent. We’ve also seen directly that together we are powerful—we can and will win the contract we need and deserve!
Other highlights from the 3rd day of the strike:
Construction workers on Clark’s campus walked off the job for the 2nd day in a row! We appreciate their show of solidarity.
Concrete delivery was once again unsuccessful due to our consistent and vigilant picketing.
Clark Management expresses frustration at our shutting down construction and deliveries (good).
Management unilaterally ended the bargaining session early after CUGWU gave our economic counter-proposal. We have proposed additional meeting times all day Thursday and Friday.
Meeting with Clark’s International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) went well. ISSO confirmed the protected rights of international students to participate in a strike AND to receive strike pay from Teamsters.
Provost Royo, who has not attended a single bargaining meeting, sends out a negotiation update to faculty and students about the state of negotiations, including misleading accounts of our strike and excluding key details of Clark’s offer.
The Mutual Aid committee will be sending info on requesting aid early next week! We are waiting until after everyone has gotten paid on Friday for the 9/19-10/2 pay period.
An undergraduate who has served as a daycare worker has volunteered childcare support for any workers who need childcare in order to picket. Reach out to someone on the organizing committee if you need this type of support in order to picket.
The supportive faculty are facilitating an interactive session for the students, “Exploring context and Solidarity with the Graduate student strike” at Red square at 10.30 am.
How you can support our strike:
Join us on the picket line. We ESPECIALLY need people for evenings, early mornings, and this weekend.
Donate to our mutual aid fund here (@CUGWUMutualAid on Venmo).
Express your concerns via email to President Fithian and Provost Royo
Spread the word via social media (follow @cugwu_teamsters on insta and twitter)!