International Solidarity Workgroup Info Session & Updates
This Friday! Info Session on International Scholars and Work
The International Solidarity Workgroup, in collaboration with other UAW Locals, have put together an information session for international scholars regarding important updates on current immigration laws and University policies, and how to stay informed and involved in the upcoming academic year. Panelists will include an immigration attorney, community leaders, and international scholar union reps. We will cover updates regarding international students learning and working from outside the U.S., and also answer your questions and discuss recent examples of successful campaigns. The goal is to not just answer common questions, but also provide a broader picture of issues affecting international scholars, and ways for us to organize around them.
The webinar will take place on Friday 8/21 at 12PM PDT and will be recorded for anyone unable to attend. Please RSVP and submit questions here. The event can also be found on Facebook.
New incoming international scholars are especially encouraged to attend! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Please feel free to share this event among your networks. Hope to see you all there!
International Solidarity Workgroup Updates
The International Solidarity Workgroup is currently working to better understand how ASE-appointed students are affected by the presidential proclamation. The response of UW to specific instances is scattered and often depends on which college the student belongs to, and a final determination of policy may not come out until the end of August. This is too long for many students that are in extremely pressing situations. Therefore, we are organizing around the following action points:
- We have put together this survey for incoming international students to better understand their situation and provide support. In consultation with our attorney, we developed this FAQ for incoming ASEs and Postdocs.
- We have sent our demand to President Cauce that UW create a Task Force with international scholar representation to improve responses and protect against ongoing threats to international scholars. Sign on now!
- We are seeking to identify H1B holders affected by the June Executive Order in preparation for another injunction. Please reach out to intl-workgroup@uaw4121.org if this applies to you.
Our International Solidarity Work Group meets Mondays at 11am during Summer Quarter. Please email intl-workgroup@uaw4121.org if you want to join the next meeting.
Antidiscrimination Work Group Updates
UW Community Response to Cliff Mass
We are collecting signatures on our letter demanding accountability from Cliff Mass and the UW Atmospheric Science department. As a faculty member in the Atmos Sci department, Cliff has a long history of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation. Earlier this month, he authored a post on his public blog equating this summer’s wave of protests for Black lives to the Kristallnacht of Nazi Germany. This latest post is part of a long pattern of discriminatory, belittling, and bullying behavior. For years, graduate students and postdocs have been calling for a meaningful response to Mass’s behavior from the College of Environment and UW administration to no avail. Enough is enough. If the UW administration does not take decisive action to address this pattern of behavior, it contributes to a climate where these racist narratives are tolerated and demonstrates UW’s lack of commitment to real change. Please join more than 450 UW students, postdocs, staff, faculty, and alumni in demanding that Mass be fired and other structural accountability measures be implemented immediately.
Rapid mobilization network
Members of the ADWG have established a network of fellow UAW 4121 members for rapid mobilization to protests and other events in the Seattle/Bothell/Tacoma area, as a way to quickly coordinate about upcoming events we want to attend, and to connect with others on the ground at events to help build safer and more accessible participation. All UAW 4121 members are encouraged to join — please fill out this form and an organizer will follow up with you!
Our Anti-Discrimination Working Group continues to take action on a number of fronts — for more information about any of the above, or to get involved, please email anti-discrimination@uaw4121.org!
Labor Network for Sustainability
We are participating in the Labor Network for Sustainability Webinar: Young Workers and a Just Transition. Learn more and register here.
UAW 4121 represents the labor community on the Washington State Environmental Justice Task Force. This November, the task force will issue recommendations to the governor and state agencies. Still under development, they include a legal definition of environmental justice, investments in communities that bear disproportionate environmental harm, and a new task force on reparations. The next task force meeting is September 11th. To learn more, email climatejustice@uaw4121.org.
Tell Inslee: No Evictions in WA
On October 15, Washington’s emergency eviction moratorium will expire. Without bold action, Governor Jay Inslee will be unleashing a mass wave of catastrophic evictions in Washington. From a previous poll, we found that over a third of our members are rent-burdened, and could be experiencing housing insecurity. Stay tuned for a poll about this. Sign the petition to call for No Debt, No Evictions for all Washingtonians here! Connect on Facebook. Please join us! Email: housing-justice@uaw4121.org
2020 Primary Results are in!
Washington State saw high voter turnout in the August primary, with just under 55% casting ballots in King County, 51.8% in Pierce County, and 53.7% in Snohomish County. Our endorsed candidates did very well and almost all made it through their primaries! Congratulations! Our Political Work Group will be hosting some volunteer opportunities in the fall to make sure our candidates win in November. Stay tuned for more details. For more information or to get involved, email political@uaw4121.org.
In Solidarity,
Douglas Avella-Castro
Leandro Casiraghi
Amanda Clouser
Monica Cortés Viharo
Meg Drouhard
Max Friedfeld
Vern Harner
Dan Hart
Amzi Jeffs
Sam Kastner
Kyle Kubler
Kristin McCowan
Emily Myers
Anzela Niraula
Jacob O’Connor
Elena Pandres
Nayon Park
Marissa Parker
David Parsons
Shua Sanchez
Paige Sechrest
Solmaz Shakerifard
Sam Sumpter
Judy Twedt
Jon Witt
|
