Welcome to Autumn Quarter 2022:
Fall Social, New Website, Merch!
Happy start of the 2022-2023 academic year, and welcome to our new members! We have an exciting year ahead of building power with each other. A couple of reminders to kick off our year:
Pick up your UAW 4121 cap to look as spiffy as Pilot for the new quarter! Pilot is the proud union dog of head steward & Contract Enforcement Working Group member Ana Bennett.
Upcoming Actions for Reproductive Justice
After a Supreme Court draft opinion of the Dobbs case was leaked in early May 2022, UAW 4121 members responded immediately by establishing the Solidarity and Mobilization Workgroup (SMWG) and joining coalition organizing work happening in Seattle. Although Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the fight for reproductive justice is far from over. Organizing and legislative victories in the recent months clearly demonstrate that not only can we defeat attacks on abortion rights, but we can also build a brighter future for comprehensive reproductive justice. We know that our most powerful ability to win structural changes comes from our ability to come together and take mass collective action.
This October will be a month of action to defend abortion rights, with numerous actions happening across Seattle each week. Mobilizing around these events is a key opportunity to keep up the momentum that started in May by taking action with our broader community to fight for reproductive justice. We encourage our fellow UAW 4121 members to attend at least one of the following events this month. To RSVP and connect with other 4121 members at these actions, please fill out this short form.
Please indicate your interest in attending any of these events using this Google form! You can also use the form to indicate if you would like to be connected with other UAW 4121 members interested in attending the same event(s) as you.
If you want to get involved with the Solidarity and Mobilization Working Group, email solidarity@uaw4121.org for information about our regular meetings.
Solidarity with Protestors in Iran
UAW 4121 stands in firm solidarity with the courageous women, students, workers, union siblings, and all other protesters in Iran who have been putting their lives on the line to fight for people’s rights to freedom, equality, and a life in dignity since Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s murder by Iranian police. We unequivocally condemn the state’s brutal repression of the protests, which includes arresting thousands of people, shutting down the internet, and killing at least 76 people by September 25, at least 4 of whom were children. Unfortunately, the numbers are going up and it is hard to know the exact numbers due to the internet shut down in Iran.
On September 13, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish citizen of Iran, was arrested by a branch of the police known as “the morality police,” who accused her of wearing an “improper hijab.” Mahsa’s death from injuries she sustained in custody was announced on September 16. The news of Mahsa’s murder provoked countrywide outrage, especially among women who, for more than 43 years, have been subjected to mandatory hijab law and brutalized by the morality police.
On September 17, Mahsa’s funeral in the city of Saqqez, her hometown in Iran’s Kurdistan Province, turned into a large protest against state-codified patriarchy and broad political repression. People chanted “woman, life, freedom,” and “death to the dictator,” referring to the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989. Inspired by people’s protests in Kurdistan, many unofficial student associations, local feminist groups, and independent political activists began organizing protests across the country. Moreover, several well-known independent labor unions, including the Workers’ Syndicate of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company, the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Associations, and the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran & Suburbs Bus Company, issued statements in support of the protests. Despite the brutal repression by the state, the protests continue for the second week.
There will be a rally at Westlake Park this Saturday, October 1st at 12pm that members are encouraged to attend. Additionally, if you and/or other ASEs, Postdocs, or Research Scientists you know are in need of support around this issue, or want to get involved in organizing around issues impacting our international communities, please get in touch with our International Solidarity Working Group at international-solidarity@uaw4121.org.
New Funds for Immigrants & Refugees in King County
Recently the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) launched two new funds for immigrants and refugees in King County. Both funds are open to immigrants who live, work, or attend school in King County and have a household income that is under 200 percent of the 2022 Federal Poverty Limit.
- The King County Relief Fund is open to immigrants in King County who aren’t eligible for federal stimulus money or unemployment benefits. Approved applicants can receive $1,000! More info & apply here.
- The King County Immigrant Fee Support Program can support immigrants in King County who incur fees associated with the USCIS or EOIR immigration process between January 1, 2022 and December 1, 2022. Awards are up to $3000/individual and $6000/household. More info & apply here.
If you or someone you know needs assistance applying for these funds, you can use the WAISN Hotline, which provides support in 285 languages to all callers looking for application support, as well as in-person resources through a network of community partners. You can call the Hotline at 1-844-724-3737 between Monday – Friday from 9AM – 9PM.
Volunteer Outreach Opportunity (STEM)
The Husky Science Communication Initiative (HuSCI) is seeking volunteers to facilitate hands-on science activities with 7th and 8th grade students!
HuSCI is a group of UW graduate students seeking to lower barriers to entry into STEM through community outreach, including through HuSCI’s partnership with Denny International Middle School, a historically underresourced school in South Seattle. Denny has a strong Black and Latinx student population, as well as a large number of multilingual learners, primarily from Spanish- and Somali-speaking backgrounds.
The volunteer commitment entails visiting Denny approximately once per quarter, and engaging in follow-up “Meet a Scientist” sessions over Zoom. Anyone interested in learning more should fill out this Google Form and plan to attend HuSCI’s Zoom informational meeting on October 5th, 2022 (please sign up with the Google Form to receive the Zoom link). Any questions can be directed to HuSCIorg@gmail.com.
In Solidarity,
Justin Applegate
Ana Bennett
Erica Bigelow
Nick Bolten
Max Friedfeld
Colleen Hoffman
Levin Kim
Avi Matarasso
Nicel Mohamed-Hinds
Emily Myers
Amal Nanavati
Anzela Niraula
Marissa Parker
Mara Rafferty
Tahiyat Rahman
Anastasia Schaadhart
Audrey Seo
Jer Steeger
Sam Sumpter
Samantha Thompson
Natalie Wellen
Tricia Wu
Yuying Xie |
