Today we were introduced to a mediator from the Washington State Public Employment Relations Committee (PERC) who was unilaterally introduced to the process by UW administration. While we agreed to meet with the mediator in the interest of reaching an agreement, it slowed the process significantly as we had to spend time filling him in on our bargaining history and communicating through him rather than directly with the administration’s bargaining committee. We have seen the University Administration introduce a mediator before, and are seeing this as amounting to a strategy by the University which, while seeming neutral, actually exacerbated an unequal power dynamic that has been corroding these negotiations throughout the last two quarters of bargaining.
Bargaining updates: For a full summary of today’s bargaining session — including proposals concerning wages, trans-inclusive healthcare, and mental healthcare — check out the website here.
OUTLINE OF THE NEXT FEW DAYS:
On Monday, April 30th, our contract expires. We are doing everything we can to negotiate a fair contract by the deadline, but we have been met with hostility, reticence, and indifference.
There are 2 direct-action events open to everyone who would like to participate in discussing bargaining tactics for achieving our collective goals for a fair, equitable, and acceptable contract for all ASEs at UW.
- Monday, April 30th, at 4:00pm at Roosevelt Commons West: We are asking for a critical mass of union membership to attend the last hours of bargaining in order to caucus about our options, whether that means accepting a contract proposal to be ratified by membership or whether that means rejecting the terms offered and committing to further negotiations and/or escalations.
- Sunday, April 29th, from 6:00-8:00pm at Physics and Astronomy Building (PAB) in Room C520: We will meet having an open forum union membership meeting to discuss the current state of negotiations and our options going forward. Use the entrance in the physics courtyard. We will have someone there to let you into the building and usher you toward the meeting. You can also call a bargaining committee member at (701) 388-5765. This meeting will be important in brainstorming next steps and tracking hypothetical trajectories negotiations could take starting on Monday.
In Solidarity,
Theresa Aliwarga
Douglas Avella-Castro
Dianne Baumann
Andrea Canini
Anthony Castanza
Monica Cortes Viharo
Meg Drouhard
Kristen Garofali
Katya Kolesova
Dylan Mayer
Mandy McCourt
Kristin McCowan
Elizabeth Mills
David Parsons
Shua Sanchez
Maddie Smith
Sam Sumpter
Arash Tarkhan
Judy Twedt