2005 CGEU Conference Overview
From CGEU
The 14th annual meeting of the Coalition of Graduate Employee Unions, hosted by the TAA here in Madison, was a great success.
The conference, held the weekend of July 22nd, combined the opportunity to exchange information and successful tactics with a platform to begin planning concrete action in defense of education and graduate employee rights.
One hundred fifteen officially registered delegates from 30 grad employee unions and union campaigns across the United States and Canada were in attendance.
"Nuts and bolts" workshops were held on topics such as contract enforcement, basics of organizing, bargaining a first contract, and media relations. Attendees also explored ways to gain health insurance for LGBT members, improving campus climate for organizing, and tactics for forming meaningful labor solidarity ties.
Nancy Jowske, a grad employee activist from Wayne State University confirmed that the conference was well worth the time and effort. "I returned from the conference challenging many assumptions I had. . . . The conference reframed for me what a Union fundamentally needs to be and reminded me in a profound way of what we all do this for."
A special session was dedicated to discussion of the recent NLRB decision denying grad employees at private universities the right to bargain. Members from NYU, Yale, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania will gather to coordinate actions against last year's ruling. "We were shocked to see the NLRB reverse its own 2000 ruling and now in essence say, 'You get a paycheck, but you don't work there,' said Ciara 'Kehoe, a TA and union officer at the University of Pennsylvania. "It's ridiculous and we're going to fight it."
Eden Schulz, a member of GSEU/UAW Local 2110 at Columbia University, agreed. "This conference made me feel really positive about the future of the grad union movement. In light of NYU's decision to withdraw recognition from GSOC, it would be easy to feel defeated, but everyone attending this conference was ready to fight back with a bold, coordinated effort."
Attendees also had the chance to just relax and chat - and to join in a labor solidarity action with SEIU Local 1, a local of building service workers who are fighting for union recognition. Over 140 CGEU activists, community members, and TAA members joined Local 1 workers for a march and rally through the downtown-capitol area.
Though it may come as a shock to some, Madison's entire commercial cleaning industry is non-union, and very exploitative: several hundred janitors work in Madison for very low wages, virtually no benefits, no access to health insurance, and no chance to work full-time. "We want CleanPower, the subcontractor that handles 44% of the area's cleaning contracts, to give workers a fair deal and a chance for decent wages and benefits," said Eric Freedman, TAA's co-president.
Numerous activists commented that this year’s CGEU had reached a new level of maturity. “I think we’re going to see more and more coordination at a national level among grad employee unions,” commented Susan Gaeddert, a TAA steward in Music. “We need to work out the mechanics, but this group is clearly heading in that direction.”
