Fellow Workers,
We hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. As we trek further into the semester, we have several upcoming events and bits of news that you will not want to miss. Mark your calendars accordingly, come out to the next GEO committee meeting, or please let us know how we can help organize a social event for your department and/or workplace. Email us, join a slack channel, or stop by our office at 919 Campus Center. GEO is a member driven organization and we want to hear from you!!!
🔨 GEO’s organizing committee will be meeting tonight November 14th, from 5:30-7pm over Zoom. We will be discussing plans for the issue survey and continuing our conversation about how to intervene in the Pioneer Valley housing crisis. We’ll also be discussing plans for the end of the semester as well as the beginning of next semester, so stay tuned – or better yet, get involved!
On Wednesday, November 16th from 4:30-5:30 PM the Higher Education Coalition, a multi-organization coalition formed between the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and GEO, will hold a student virtual roundtable discussion to begin planning for the future of higher education in the Commonwealth. The Fair Share Amendment passed in last week’s elections, so now we need to get to work to make our voices heard! Debt free public higher education in Massachusetts is on the top of our list of priorities, so please join the session to share your experiences and learn more about the formation of this coalition. The zoom link to the meeting is available here.
The Higher Education Coalition will also hold a press conference at the State House in Boston on December 1st from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM to share its vision for the future of public higher ed in Massachusetts. More details on this event soon, but please consider attending the session above to learn more about the event and mark your calendars accordingly.
✊ The GEO Abolition Committee will hold its weekly meeting this Thursday from 4:00-5:30 PM over Zoom. Please consider attending and joining the committee’s slack channel #abolition_committee. We’ll continue to discuss collaboration efforts with other campus organizations to coordinate a response to the recent incident involving UMPD officers assaulting a black student.
🔧 On Friday, November 18th, from 4PM to 6PM in Campus Center 805-09 and on Zoom, we will hold a follow up to our first stewards’ training session held last month. We’ll do a brief review of the grievance process and then talk about ways to organize around workplace issues and make the grievance process work for us. Non-stewards are more than welcome to attend! If you come in-person there will be apple cider 🍎 and banana bread 🍌🍞
A Graduate Student Senate (GSS) / GEO mixer is in the works and will happen very soon. This semester’s rendition will be held at Amherst Brewing (inside The Hangar on 10 University Drive in Amherst) More details with a confirmed date and time to follow later this week.
RSVP FOR UAW LOCAL 2322 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND HOLIDAY PARTY!
Join us for the annual membership meeting of our amalgamated Local, UAW 2322, and stay for a holiday party at the beautiful Northampton Center for the Arts! The goal of our annual membership meeting this year is to uplift the ways we are currently building worker power together and how we can collectively support each other and further that work in the coming year. Join the conversation, meet members from across 2322, and enjoy the party! RSVP here as soon as possible! Make sure to indicate if you are traveling to Northampton from a ways away; you may be eligible for a gas reimbursement. Food and drink will be served.
🗳 And finally, please do not forget to vote in the UAW election! You should have received a paper ballot in the mail over the last week or two. While the November 11th deadline to request a replacement ballot has now passed, you can still vote in the election if you have a ballot. November 18 is the recommended deadline to mail in the ballot, however they must be received at the designated postal facility in Ohio by November 28. This historic vote marks the first time in history that UAW members are electing their own leadership, and as higher ed is the fastest-growing sector in the UAW, we have a chance to shape our union’s vision like never before. Make a plan and vote!
Solidarity,
GEO Leadership
