TA Cuts

Who We Are

In March 2016 and continuing through Spring Quarter, the union began hearing from some chairs in the College of Arts & Sciences that they were going to cut TA positions for the 2016-2017 academic year. In departments where these threats obtained, we immediately took action by filing grievances, organizing delegations, and organizing protests. This working group emerged to continue that work over the summer and into the academic year.

What We Do

Goals & Demands

• Secure immediate funding for those individuals who have yet to receive funding guarantees for all or part of academic year 16-17
• Ensure that academic quality at the UW is maintained at a high level, and that graduate student funding is established through a combination of academic excellence determinants, including: smaller ratio of students to instructors, larger ratio of graduate students who are funded for the duration of their degree, improvements to time to degree completion, etc.
• Secure union involvement in budget development before it is finalized

Recent Updates

• Met with Pres Cauce and Dean Stacey to discuss our demands with them directly
• Met with representatives of Labor Relations, President Cauce’s office, Dean Stacey’s office, and the Office of Planning and Budgeting to discuss Activity Based Budgeting
• Secured funding for a majority of affected individuals funded through a combination of Dean Stacey’s office or individual departments. We’re continuing to work for those individuals who do not yet have guaranteed funding.
• On June 2, 2016, UAW 4121 members and supporters from across UW Seattle’s campus joined together for a day of action, including a picket in the quad, a march to Dean Stacey’s office, delegations to deliver grievances to individual departments, and a teach-in and sit-in in President Cauce’s office, where were joined by Councilmember Kshama Sawant! 

Get Support

If you don’t have guaranteed funding for 2016-2017 that you were expecting, please get in touch with us as soon as possible at uaw4121@uaw4121.org.

Get Involved

We meet fairly regularly and always welcome new working group members! Please check out the UAW calendar for up-to-date meeting times and locations, or email uaw4121@uaw4121.org for more information.