Union Meeting 3.18.2007

In attendance: Jesssica Lynam, Meghan Cook, Josh Muia, Lisa Horton, Ilse Schweitzer, Erdal Terkivatan, Katie Brambrink, Elise Boneau, Marcie Noble, Tim Duby, Stacey Pollard , Jason Trowbridge, David Zwart, Jamie McCandless, Chris Pomeroy, Julie Houck, Julie Roos, Brednan Weaver, Amanda Bellino, Dan Kueh.

1. Minutes and Agenda: approved.

2. Updates:

a. Bargaining: Jason Trowbridge reported the B-teams frustration at having only received two counters from the administrations bargaining team, and they were rather insubstantive and argumentative on rather minor points. He reiterated the frustration with their counter-proposal on non-discrimination.

b. David Zwart used this opportunity to state that the administration should be pressured to urgency, and to that end the union would require more agitation among the membership, espcially non active or non organized departments. The assembled member discussed various ways of motivating the union membership to act in thier own self-interest, such as a social event or contacting the print media. David then suggested that on simple solution was to have people show up at the 11:30am bargaining break to have lunch with the bargaining team and discuss how the session was progressing.

3. Upcoming:

David Zwart announced several activites for this week:

a. There will be two meetings at Parkview, Friday March 23rd one at 11am and another at 2pm to organize the Parkview Campus. David asked for volunteers to go to Parkview on Tuesday and Wednesday to inform the teaching assistants there. The volunteers for Tuesday are David Zwart, Marice Noble, and Keith Russo. The volunteers for Wednesday are Jamie McCandless, Elsie Boneau, Meghan Cook and Brendan Weaver. Those volunteering should arrange to meet with Chris Pomeroy to coordinate the distribution of information.

b. There will be a meeting with the Psychology teaching assistants on March 30th at noon. Jessica Lynam and Jamie McCandless will speak to them about the union.

c. David Zwart then opened up discussion on several topics about how to spread the information about the Membership Meeting on March 30th, Bernhard Center 208/209 at 5:30pm. He requested that active members speak with less active or non-organized people in thier departments. He requested that the active members consider pithy saying for chalking the campus, for the distribution of flyers, and for proposing work actions to transmit a sense of urgency to both membership and administration.

Jessica Lynam stated that she and Marcie Noble would appear on WIDR radio on Tuesday between 12pm and 1pm, for a brief speaking engagment to last fifteen minutes or so. There was more discussion on how to transmit a sense of urgency such as an informational picket or a "grade-in" in the presidents office. Brendan Weaver argued that any type of action within the president's office or even within McCracken Administration building was prohibited by law, which he found out from experience.

David requested that the members be available to phone bank after the next meeting, 4pm Sunday.

David also noted the need to replace the executive committee was coming up soon, and that people should think about possible nominations.

The meeting ended at 3:55pm. The next union meeting will be Sunday March 25th, at 3pm with phone banking to follow.

Submitted by Jamie McCandles