Reminder: Participate today in equity survey

Please take a few minutes now to add your voice to the 2020 Equity Survey!

Our annual Equity Survey gathers information about the specific harassment, discrimination, and inclusion issues Academic Student Employees and Postdocs are facing at UW. By participating in the survey, you are taking part in a union-wide effort to better understand our positions as workers and to build our collective power. It also means we will be in a stronger position for bargaining in 2021 as this survey will help generate powerful evidence to take to the bargaining table. Note that this survey is administered through Catalyst in order to ensure each person only fills it out once, but your responses won’t be connected with your identifying information. To share the survey with others in your department, you can use the link tinyurl.com/uw-uaw-es1920.

February Membership Meeting

Our monthly membership meeting will be Thursday 2/13 from 5:30-6:30pm in Thomson 125. The proposed agenda for the meeting is as follows:

• Approve Agenda
• Approve Minutes
• Equity Survey Organizing
• Postdocs Start Bargaining Over Wages
• Western States Resolution
• Lobby Days Report Back
• Solidarity Actions
• 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, February 12. All members in good standing are encouraged to attend, and new members may sign up to join the union at the meeting. As always children are welcome: please email uaw4121@uaw4121.org by 12:00 noon on Wednesday (2/12) if you need childcare and we will ensure it is provided.

Solidarity with SEIU 1199

Last week, 8000 healthcare workers with SEIU 1199 went on strike after Swedish-Providence refused to address patient care and safe staffing through bargaining. Meanwhile, Providence pays its top 15 executives over $41 million and during the three-day strike, spent $11 million on replacement workers and security.

UAW 4121 members joined in solidarity on the picket lines and last week’s rally, where more than 1000 strikers and supporters — including unions, community groups, and faith leaders — called on Swedish to put patients before profits. The fight for patient care and safe staffing is not over — please take a moment now to add your name to this petition in support of healthcare workers in this critical fight!

Check Payslip for FICA Taxes

Some Academic Student Employees have reported that they’ve had Social Security/Medicare (FICA) taxes deducted from their paychecks. ASEs should be exempt from this, so please check your payslip and contact contract-enforcement@uaw4121.org if you see a deduction for Social/Security Medicare taxes.

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