Membership Meeting on May 14
Our next membership meeting will be Thursday 5/14 from 5-6pm, and will be conducted via Zoom. More details about how you can join the Zoom meeting will follow in next week’s email. The proposed agenda for the meeting is as follows:
- Approve Agenda
- Approve Minutes
- Bargaining Updates & Actions
- Steward & Organizing Trainings
- Elections Committee
- Adjourn
Any member who would like to propose additional agenda items or submit materials for the meeting is welcome to email uaw4121@uaw4121.org by 5pm on Wednesday, May 13th. All members in good standing are encouraged to attend, and anyone who is not yet a member can sign up here beforehand.
Bargaining Summary
This morning kicked off bargaining with UW admin over the impacts of COVID-19 related to appointment extensions. More than 20 Postdocs and ASEs participated in our first bargaining session, and several members shared how COVID has been impacting them, as well as why appointment extensions are critical to their academic training, research projects, and financial and physical wellbeing. Members highlighted their organizing work in their departments to ensure the health and safety of all. We also spoke about how our efforts at UW connect to a larger struggle across academia and how we are advocating in Congress for additional funding to support our workforce. If you would like to attend our next session, please email uaw4121@uaw4121.org.
Tax Amazon Updates & Actions
Tuesday evening, our local co-hosted a Tax Amazon District 4 & District 7 Town Hall, which was attended virtually by at least 80 people on three different livestream platforms. The event’s purpose was to give District 4 and District 7 constituents the opportunity to ask their Seattle City Councilmembers questions about Sawant-Morales proposed ordinance I-131, “Tax Amazon for COVID Relief, Affordable Housing, and the Green New Deal.” Several 4121 members participated in the event: Avi Matarasso (ASE, Bioengineering) MC’d the event; Christoph Strouse (ASE, Built Environments) and Nayon Park (ASE Head Steward, Chemistry) sat on a panel of community members who spoke about the need for this important legislation; and David Clark (ASE, Math) helped with event logistics, and also pitched questions to the panelists and the two Seattle City Councilmembers in attendance: Kshama Sawant (District 3) and Andrew Lewis (District 7). Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4) was invited to attend, but declined the invitation. Thanks to all who made this successful event happen!
If you’re a Seattle voter, you can help by signing the ballot initiative petition. Please sign today! Each Saturday from now until May 30th, a group of 4121 members will join the Tax Amazon phone bank. We’ll be calling other 4121 members about signing the petition to put the Tax Amazon Initiative onto the ballot for next Fall. RSVP now!
In solidarity,
UAW 4121 Joint Council
Tina Angerer
Douglas Avella-Castro
Leandro Casiraghi
Monica Cortés Viharo
Meg Drouhard
Max Friedfeld
Vern Harner
Dan Hart
Sam Kastner
Kyle Kubler
Kristin McCowan
Emily Myers
Anzela Niraula
Jacob O’Connor
Nayon Park
Marissa Parker
David Parsons
Cristian Proistosescu
Shua Sanchez
Paige Sechrest
Solmaz Shakerifard
Sam Sumpter
Judy Twedt
Jon Witt |
