Membership Meeting on Wed 11/10
Our next membership meeting will be Wednesday 11/10 from 5-6:30pm, and will be conducted via Zoom. To receive the Zoom information, please fill out this short form. The Housing Justice Working Group will be facilitating discussion during this meeting to identify pressing issues and topics related to housing as part of the cross-local West Coast Housing Justice Campaign with UAW members in the University of California system. Your participation is greatly appreciated in this coastal effort to mobilize around housing justice!
The agenda for the meeting is as follows:
- Approve agenda
- Approve minutes
- Approve board actions
- Housing Justice Campaign
- Upcoming Events & Solidarity Actions
- Adjourn
All members in good standing are encouraged to attend, and anyone who is not yet a member can sign up here beforehand. 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.
Getting Involved in Local Politics and Movement-Building
The results from the November 2nd election highlight how much is at stake in local government and policymaking at city and county council levels. Throughout this election cycle, members have been participating in conversations and actions around affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure, climate justice, real public safety, affordable childcare, immigration, economic justice, and more. As Nikkita Oliver, the candidate we endorsed for City Council Position 9, put it, many of the issues that were discussed during this election cycle were not even considered up for debate in previous election cycles — we have a long way to go and we have come a long way.Lorena González, too, pointed out that now that this election is over, “we need to continue to organize and work every day towards progress on creating a more affordable, just and safe city for us all.” That work includes our current organizing with the Kshama Solidarity Campaign to fight the recall! See the section below to get involved. Looking toward 2022 and upcoming state and federal elections, if you’re interested in getting involved, email the Political Workgroup: political@uaw4121.org or one of our policy focused work groups like Climate Justice, Housing Justice, International Solidarity, or Economic Justice Working Groups.
Kshama Solidarity Campaign
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant has continuously fought with UAW 4121 members during her entire time in elected office, from spearheading the $15 NOW and Tax Amazon campaigns, to leading the charge for renter protections and rent control, and speaking at our Rally for a Fair Contract last year. But now, the right wing and big business are trying to remove her from office because of her strong track record fighting for working people.
As we’ve seen in the most recent Seattle city elections, big business can and will pour money into city politics in the (sometimes successful) attempt to buy elections, and this Recall campaign is no different. In addition, the right-wing Recall has intentionally delayed this vote to a special election on Tuesday, December 7th in the attempt to suppress voter turnout, particularly among students, renters, people of color, and queer folks.
We can’t outspend the billionaires behind the Recall, but we can and must out-organize them. It will take all of us putting in a little bit of time to beat the recall and keep Kshama in office.
There are three important ways you can help in the coming weeks. For more info and to RSVP for any of these, fill out this short form.
- Help connect with voters in District 3 to ensure they are prepared to vote later this month by joining a canvass on November 21 at 11am.
- Help connect with fellow UAW 4121 members who live in District 3 and encourage them to vote by signing up for 1-2 hours of phone/textbanking.
- Join a fundraiser with fellow UW workers on November 14th at 4pm.
1 Member 1 Vote Ballots Due Soon!
Ballots are now out for the historic UAW-wide referendum, 1 Member 1 Vote (1M1V), and your completed ballot must be received by November 29. Make your voice heard and send yours in this week to ensure it arrives in time to be counted!
It’s critical for every member to participate in this vote, and our ASE and Postdoc Organizing Committees are actively working to connect with as many 4121 members as possible. So once you’ve voted, please also take a second to let the Organizing Committees know you’ve sent in your ballot by filling out this form.
If you haven’t received your ballot, you can request a replacement by emailing uawballot@merrimanriver.com or calling 855-433-8683. For more information — including why this important vote is happening and how to get more involved — check out this page on the website.
Postdoc Childcare Fund Enrollment is Now Open
Postdoc caregivers: enrollment is now open for the Postdoc Childcare fund. Enroll today.
The Postdoc Childcare Fund is now accepting responses for the second half of 2021. Our collective bargaining agreement provides for a collective caregiving fund of $45,000 in 2021 that is distributed semiannually. Funds will be distributed in December for Postdoc caregivers who worked at UW anytime from July to December 2021. If you are a Postdoc parent or caregiver, enroll today. Please reach out to the Family Friendly Workgroup (familyfriendly@uaw4121.org) with any questions or to get more involved.
In Solidarity,
Douglas Avella-Castro
Julia Ball
Nicholas Bolten
Tucker Burgin
Amanda Clouser
Kate Conroy
Max Friedfeld
Vern Harner
Colleen Hoffman
Levin Kim
Brianne King
Avi Matarasso
Erin Morgan
Emily Myers
Amal Nanavati
Anzela Niraula
Nayon Park
Marissa Parker
Anastasia Schaadhardt
Solmaz Shakerifard
Sam Sumpter
Samantha Thompson
Braeden Van Deynze
Yuying Xie
Momona Yamagami
Christian Zimmermann