We began this week’s meeting with a report from Alumni Weekend’s actions, which included a full day of flyering, a lunchtime teach-in, and light projection at night. Professor Julie Crawford, the Chair of Literature Humanities, took a moment at the end of her “Mini-Core Class” to advise alumni to get informed and weigh in on our campaign. Check out Facebook for photos and video of these events!
Bollinger is currently serving as co-chair of a Committee on the Future of Voting through the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and we sent an open letter this week to the full committee. We expressed our concern over the potential conflict between his appointment to this committee and his refusal to respect the democratic process and the results of our union vote here at Columbia and requested that the committee encourage him to begin bargaining with us now.
On Friday we handed out pamphlets at the Trustees/Alumni Leaders Reception in front of the President’s house and then at the AAPF 20th Anniversary celebration at Lerner on Saturday. Many, if not the majority, of people at each of the three events expressed support for us!
Meanwhile, our summer STEM campaign is still underway, and we’ll be holding trainings for new organizers as promised—you can still sign up for Thursday’s training, June 15 from 4-6pm in Hamilton 302.
Next Wednesday, some of us will be going to the Village Voice Strike Benefit next Wednesday—a screening of The Pajama Game. Union members at the Village Voice are part of our Local 2110, and all proceeds are going to support their strike fund, if they have to strike.
There will also be a rally at UMass-Lowell on June 20 to support adjuncts negotiating for a fair contract there, and we’re looking into chartering a bus.
Plans for a newsletter are still underway!