Union Meeting Minutes 4/7/2007

In attendance: Mike Ciletti, Theresa Whittaker, David Zwart, Marcie Noble, Jason Trowbridge, David Clark, Scott Marley, Josh Muia, Lisa Horton, Amanda Bellino, Meghan Cook, Jessica Lynam, Julie Roos, Julie Hauk, Micah Erwin, Nuno Castellanos, dan Kueh, Alyssa Picard, Elsie Boneau.

The meeting began at 12:30pm.

1. Minutes and Agends: Picket was misspelt throughout last weeks minutes.

2. Updates

a. Bargaining: Jason Trowbridge reported that all non-economic issues were finished, and that we were now negotiating abour medical, bereavement leave and jury/immigration time. The administrations team seemed willing to work on better tuitionand healthcare. Both teams agreed to new meeting totaling an additional eight hours to meet the April 20th deadline.

b. David Doby from Michigan will be here next week with supporters from other graduate locals to support the union in the final days before the contract is due.

c. Executive: Jessica Lynam reported on the meeting she and David Zwart had with larry Tolbert from the Board of Trustees. They provided him with the information about students costs, and he seemed quite surprised that things were as bad as they are. He offered no commitments to union goals, but advised that TAU was not getting enough press to generate interest in the upper eschelons of university administration. David Zwart noted that he was meeting with with Paul Wilson this week in hopes of getting faculty support through AAUP.

3. Upcoming

a. Bargaining this week will take palce on Tuesday night as well as Thursday. We would be returning some articles on leave.

b. David Zwart called for another membership meeting on April 20th to facilitate informing the members of the university's last, best offer and organizing the work action as needed.

The newletter will be published this week.

There was discussion about holding another picket this Thursday. It was generally agreed that there should be another pciket, limited to 11am-12pm. The requisite organizing for flyers and phone banking will proceed as last week. David Zwart also suggested that the union flyers cars in employee parking lots this Tuesday night at 5pm also.

David Zwart also facilitated the discussion about what type of work-action the union would engage in. A motion was made that the work action should be the non-proctering of exams. The motion was passed, Jason Trowbridge expressed concern that the strike might produce engative feedback from students who would not blame the university and from faculty who might see it as ingratitude on a personal level.

c. It was announced that nominations for executive committee members is open. Any nominations should be given to either the secretary (Jamie McCandless) or to any exeutive committee member.

The meeting ended at 2:30pm.

Submitted by Jamie McCandless