Members are continuing to prepare to take action at Schmitz Hall on January 25th at 12:30 p.m. If you can, please plan on paying your fees along with other ASEs on that day. Also some ASEs have volunteered to create teaching materials and talking points for any TA who would like to discuss this issue with students throughout the week. These materials will be published on our website early next week.
While the action and teaching materials will use the fees arbitration as a focus, we will also be speaking to some of the larger economic forces impacting the UW and public education more generally. Deep austerity cuts to the budget by the state Legislature, and a refusal to pass meaningful progressive revenue measures to support core state services (including higher ed), have been coupled with increases in student tuition/fees to backfill revenue losses. While our members have stood united against the University attempting to relieve budgetary pressures by violating our collective bargaining agreement, we also can deliver the message that Olympia needs to do its part in fully funding UW with public money to keep research, teaching and service strong.