Membership Meeting Thurs at 5pm
As a reminder, our next membership meeting will be tomorrow, Thursday 2/11 from 5-6pm via Zoom. To access the link and/or call-in number, please fill out this short form. All members in good standing are encouraged to attend, and anyone who is not yet a member can sign up
here beforehand. Everyone is encouraged to login five minutes earlier to help expedite the check-in process. The proposed agenda for the meeting is as follows:
- Approve Agenda
- Approve Minutes
- Postdoc bargaining
- ASE bargaining
- Budget Working Group – Local Budget Proposal
- Upcoming Events and Actions
- Adjourn
For more information about how the meeting will be structured and how you can use Zoom’s features to participate, check out this page on our website. If you have any specific concerns or accessibility needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out at
uaw4121@uaw4121.org.
Bargaining Solidarity from Resident and Fellow Physicians Union!
Earlier this week RFPU, a union of 1400 resident and fellow physicians at UW, issued a compelling solidarity statement encouraging us to fight for a strong contract in our upcoming negotiations. Members of RFPU face many of the same issues that we do: from rising cost of living to increasing workload without adequate benefits or compensation. As we approach bargaining, this kind of solidarity serves as a reminder that we are not alone in the fight for improvements at UW, and our contract will set a precedent that impacts others. As their statement highlights, “Our unions are…ensuring workers receive better working conditions and pay increases each year. Stay strong. When one union wins, we all win…Your demands are reasonable and fair and we are proud to stand alongside your union.”
Worker Power Across the Country
The past few weeks have seen a surge of powerful worker action across the country! K-12 teachers in Chicago have taken direct action and
threatened a strike for student and staff safety. Teamsters responsible for packing and delivering 60% of New York City’s fruits and vegetables
went on a six day strike to win $1-an-hour wage increases. In Congress, the Progressive Caucus successfully
included a $15 minimum wage in the House’s most recent pandemic relief proposal — a proposal that builds on the successes of union- and community-led efforts for a $15 minimum wage that 4121 members were active in years ago
in Seattle and
at UW.
And on Monday, Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama began voting on the formation of their union. Particularly in the face of the aggressive union-busting tactics Amazon management has taken in response to workers’ organizing efforts, this would be a historic victory that could set a powerful precedent for Amazon warehouses across the country. These fights all show what we’ve long known to be true — even up against tough odds, when we take collective action to build power and community, we can win critical changes that prioritize the wellbeing of working and vulnerable people.
Workshop: Sexual Harassment Prevention & Structural Analysis
Help Defend the Amazon Tax and Win a Wealth Tax
Last summer, as part of the Tax Amazon movement, our union helped win a tax on big business, generating more than $200 million per year in revenue for social housing and a Green New Deal. However, in the months since Seattle City Council passed this tax, it has been met with corporate backlash, including a recent attempt to seriously decrease the revenue it can generate. Some Democratic state legislators have signalled they are open to undermining the Amazon Tax in exchange for a small wealth tax at the state level. We can’t afford any backroom deals, and we need to defend the Amazon Tax and also win statewide tax reform! Join the events below to help build the movement:
In Solidarity,
Douglas Avella-Castro
Leandro Casiraghi
Amanda Clouser
Max Friedfeld
Kaelie Giffel
Vern Harner
Dan Hart
Colleen Hoffman
Amzi Jeffs
Levin Kim
Kyle Kubler
Kristin McCowan
Erin Morgan
Emily Myers
Anzela Niraula
Jacob O’Connor
Elena Pandres
Nayon Park
Marissa Parker
David Parsons
Shua Sanchez
Paige Sechrest
Solmaz Shakerifard
Sam Sumpter
Samantha Thompson
Judy Twedt
Momona Yamagami
