I’m Stepp (short for Stepp), a GSW in Environmental Engineering and member of the bargaining team. I’m emailing you to deliver an update from last Thursday’s bargaining session.
Going forward, the bargaining team has decided to add a TL;DR to bargaining updates to make them more digestible and accessible!
TL;DR
- The bargaining team proposed three of the final (and most difficult to bargain) articles last Thursday: Wages, Healthcare, and Childcare
- Bargaining is about to get much more challenging; essentially all of the topics still on the table are highly contentious and very important to us GSWs
- USC administration will not make serious concessions at the bargaining table unless we build power and show them that GSWs are ready to fight for fair compensation and a more equitable workplace. Sign on to the United for Workplace Justice letter and RSVP for the rally, happening Thursday, August 31st
During last Thursday’s bargaining session, the team proposed several key economic articles (as usual, you can check the tracker in the bargaining portal), and emerged with the need to gather information about parent GSWs. USC administration has signaled that they have a limited understanding of how many parent GSWs are working at USC. Whether or not you’re a parent, please fill out this anonymous 30-second survey.
It was exciting to propose wage increases and improvements to healthcare/childcare at the bargaining table. The power we GSWs are building across campus is sending a clear message to admin that we are ready to take action for fair compensation, including a more livable wage and lower healthcare/childcare costs. Compromise at the bargaining table is necessary, but the stronger and more organized we are, the more we can force USC admin to move closer to our proposals — including on the critical equity-related articles still on the table.
Heading into the fall semester, we GSWs have to be ready to take action. The first major steps are to achieve majority sign-on to the United for Workplace Justice (UWJ) letter and massive turnout to the rally on August 31st, where we’ll hand-deliver the letter to USC administration.
SIGN THE LETTER AND RSVP FOR THE RALLY HERE
The next bargaining session will be this Thursday, August 17th (location TBD). RSVP here if you’re interested in attending.
Have a great week!
In solidarity,
Stepp