I’m Pırıl Nergis; if you don’t know me, I’m one of the GSWOC-UAW bargaining team members. I’m emailing you today with a few important notes from yesterday’s bargaining session with USC administration, including a very exciting update on appointments and job security! For a full overview of bargaining progress, you can check out the bargaining portal and monitor the bargaining tracker, which the bargaining team updates in the hours following each bargaining session.
Yesterday, the bargaining team won two Tentative Agreements (TAs), on Appointments and Labor Management Meetings. The TA on Appointments is particularly promising: it establishes a guarantee of appointments that match your funding offer, and for the first time ever, GSWs are guaranteed the right to be granted appointments that are consistent with their funding offers. To be clear, there is still much work to be done to guarantee that GSWs win an article establishing a discipline and dismissal process that protects GSWs to the greatest extent possible. That said, GSWs are no longer at the sole discretion of PIs or departments when it comes to funding and appointment security.
However, despite these gains, there is a major throughline that has become more clear over the past two bargaining sessions: USC administration is highly resistant to articles that would guarantee enforceable rights, and has so far been unresponsive to the bargaining team’s proposals that would make progress on this issue. In what will likely be the major fight of this stage of the campaign, this summer, GSWs across campus will have to show up and demonstrate to USC administration that our demands for a fair grievance process, discipline and dismissal procedures, more equitable policies and practice, and strong union rights are a top priority. Enforceable protections are the foundation for everything else GSWs are fighting for.
The next bargaining session is next Thursday, June 15th. Starting at 10 AM, the bargaining team will make three proposals, each covering a crucial equity-related issue:
- Nondiscrimination
- Immigration & Work Authorization
- Reasonable Accommodations.
GSWs have the chance to win truly historic rights and protections that would, along with the rest of the contract, make major strides in advancing equity and justice across USC. It is absolutely critical that GSWs pack the room on the 15th especially during the first hour (10-11AM). Sign up to attend here, bring a friend or two, and let’s send a clear message that we’re fired up and prepared to do what it takes to win the rights and protections all GSWs deserve!
See you next Thursday.
In solidarity,
Pırıl