COCAL UPDATES, JUNE 21, 2017

Joe Berry Discussion





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COCAL is the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, a 20 year old network of contingent activists and their organizations that does a conference (now tri-national - USA, CAN (including QBC), and MEX) every other year, usually in August. It also sponsors a listserv, called ADJ-L, and has an International Advisory Committee, a website www.cocalinternational.org and Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/COCALInternational>, as well as this news aggregator, COCAL UPDATES. See below at bottom for details on joining the listserv and other resources.
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CCSF NEWS

 
1. New chancellor for CCSF
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mark-Rocha-selected-as-new-CCSF-chancellor-11220400.php
 
and http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ex-pcc-president-deal-nullified-20150429-story.html
 
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/06/17/18800236.php
 
and http://48hills.org/2017/06/19/city-college-board-poised-appoint-chancellor-deep-faculty-distrust/
 
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INTERNATIONAL
 
1. Provincial court rules that Ontario education workers are owed over $100 million for the government’s legislative violation of their collective bargaining rights, setlement reached 
https://cupe.ca/cupe-education-workers-reach-agreement-bill-115-remedy-provincial-government
 
and http://www.labour-reporter.com/article/33738-ontario-owes-teachers-education-workers-more-than-100-million-for-violating-rights/
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UPDATES IN BRIEF AND LINKS
 
1. More from the People’s Summit
http://portside.org/2017-06-13/peoples-summit-vows-transform-resistance-power
 
and http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/6/15/1671892/-People-s-Summit-2017-Organize-Energize-Agitate-Beyond-Resistance-diary-1-in-a-series
 
and http://inthesetimes.com/article/20235/winning-power-and-advancing-a-radical-agenda-arent-mutually-exclusive
 
and http://portside.org/2017-06-17/summing-summit
 
and https://indypendent.org/2017/06/bernie-sanders-calls-on-democratic-party-to-open-its-doors-to-young-and-working-people/
 
2. 6 years after their election, Manhattan College adjuncts finally get their votes counted and the union (AFT) won
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/06/16/manhattan-college-adjuncts-form-union?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=89d9359eb2-DNU20170616&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-89d9359eb2-197454541&mc_cid=89d9359eb2&mc_eid=26d8672fcd
 
3. LA port contingent truck drivers set to strike.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-port-trucker-strike-20170615-story.html
 
and front page story (very good) on them in USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/news/rigged-forced-into-debt-worked-past-exhaustion-left-with-nothing/
 
4. Duke U (NC) adjuncts close to a first contract
Paydayreport.com 
Duke Adjuncts Close to Reaching Historic Consensus
Payday reported earlier this year
<http://paydayreport.com/historic-duke-union-election-hangs-on-502-challenge
d-ballots/>  that Duke graduate employees lost a tough election. Their
adjunct faculty colleagues, however, are on the verge of a big win."
In March of 2016, adjuncts at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina
became the first adjuncts to successfully unionize at a private university
in the South. Now adjuncts at Duke say that they are close to a union
contract with the only differences existing on issues about pay and
professional development.
The main area of focus is on setting a minimum salary for instructors that
ensures no full-time instructor is paid less than $35,000 - the current
minimum salary for Durham public school teachers. Duke's current proposal
would offer some full-time instructors as little as $27,000 per year.
The union says that the difference between the costs of their proposal is
approximately $150,000. So far, however, Duke Das refused to budge.
"Our requests are both modest and realistic," the union said in an open
letter to Duke University Administration
<https://tropicsofmeta.wordpress.com/2017/06/16/duke-contingent-faculty-spea
k-out-for-fair-wages-in-open-letter/>  on June 13. "The idea that we as
faculty are somehow trying to break Duke's bank is frankly absurd - it's the
kind of thing people used to thinking in terms of game theory might believe,
but it in no way reflects the approach we've taken in bargaining.”
 
5. NCSCBHEP E-Note for June. Lots of good stuff, including some not reported before.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/June-2017-E-Note--News--Updates--and-Analysis.html?soid=1102372137664&aid=N15-zgR89k8
 
6. Interesting article on the electoral politics that the national mainstream press ignores
https://www.thenation.com/article/a-progressive-electoral-wave-is-sweeping-the-country/
 
7. United Assoc. For Labor Education (UALE) women’s summer schools upcoming. Strongly recommended.
https://uale.org/womens-schools/upcomingcurrent-classes
 
8. More on merger of Chicago charter schools local union with CTU
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/20225/chicago-teachers-union-charter-schools-union
 
9. Taxi drivers suffering in Chicago (contingents all)
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/20224/cab_drivers_union_says_chicago_taxi_industry_is_nearing_collapse
 
10. A day in the life of a day laborer
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/20237/day_laborer_purgatory_waiting_in_the_streets_to_take_a_backbreaking_job
 
11. AAUP considers paying adjuncts elected to leadership posts (NFM Pres. Maria Maisto quoted)
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/aaup-considers-paying-adjuncts-in-its-leadership-posts/118972
 
12. Interesting model for organizing contingent fast food workers, some lessons for us perhaps
http://portside.org/2017-06-16/new-york-city-fast-food-workers-may-soon-have-permanent-voice
 
13. At national meeting, AAUP, for the first time in its history, censures a college for firing a contingent faculty member
https://www.aaup.org/report/cca-colorado
 
14. Open letter from an adjunct at St Kate’s to her union busting president
http://theprofessorisin.com/2017/06/16/an-adjunct-letter-to-her-union-busting-college-president/
 
15. Send an email in support of adjuncts at Siena College  trying to get  a first contract two yers after winning election
http://seiu200united.seiu.org/page/speakout/siena-college-fair-contract-now
 
16. This week’s Inequality.org
https://inequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Inequality-Newsletter-2017-June-19-revised.html
 
17. Duke U (NC) adjuncts demand higher pay
http://www.wilm-tv.com/duke-adjunct-faculty-demand-higher-pay/
 
18. Interesting history of for-profit higher ed.
http://www.processhistory.org/angulo-for-profit-colleges/
 
19. Regional conference on academic CB set by NCSCBHEP for Long Beach, CA in Dec. 1-2, co-sponsoships sought.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Save-the-Date--Regional-Conference--December-1-2--2017.html?soid=1102372137664&aid=kMOO2i7ock8
 
20. Healthcare Rocks -  single payer video for the bill in CA leg presently
http://www.healthycaliforniaact.org/guaranteed-healthcare-rocks/
 
21. Adjunct at Essex College (NJ) suspended after appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show on Fox.
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/adjunct-says-she-was-suspended-following-appearance-on-tucker-carlson-tonight/119011
 
and https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/06/21/college-allegedly-suspends-communications-adjunct-comments-about-race-fox-news?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=63693f327f-DNU20170621&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-63693f327f-197454541&mc_cid=63693f327f&mc_eid=26d8672fcd
 
22. U Mass-Lowell adjuncts demonstrate for better pay and benefits (UAW)
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_31079962/uml-adjuncts-continue-battle-better-pay-and-benefits
 
23. SEIU local 509 introduces fair pay bill in MA legislature . See below for details.
 
24. FTNTT faculty at Washington U (ST Louis, MO) vote down union, but challenged ballots are more than the difference (SEIU)
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/06/21/wash-u-full-time-non-tenure-track-professors-vote-down-union?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=63693f327f-DNU20170621&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-63693f327f-197454541&mc_cid=63693f327f&mc_eid=26d8672fcd
 
25. Contingent freelance writers (NWU, UAW 1981) take to twitter to get Ebony to pay them
https://aflcio.org/2017/6/14/freelancers-take-twitter-say-ebonyowes-them-back-pay?link_id=6&can_id=587b791e1946e2adaf17ca20e5e3d480&source=email-dont-take-away-our-health-care&email_referrer=dont-take-away-our-health-care&email_subject=dont-take-away-our-health-care
 
26. Article speaks to conditions faced by UPS part-timers (many are our students)
https://socialistworker.org/2017/06/21/victims-of-upss-deadly-drive-for-profit
 
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UPDATES IN FULL
 
23. Hi y'all,

Fyi--interesting (if imperfect) legislation being proposed by SEIU in MA.

Best,
Betsy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:48:10 -0400
From: Dennis MacDonald <dmacdonald@seiu509.org>
To: bsmith@eastgate.net
Subject: Adjunct Faculty Parity House Bill Hearing 6/29/17 will affect you

Hello Betsy,



My name is Dennis MacDonald, I’m reaching out to you from Local 509 of the
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) about a bill that could have a
dramatic impact on adjunct faculty in Massachusetts*.* SEIU 509 is
Massachusetts’ Union for Human Service Workers and Educators. Currently we
represent over 4,000 adjunct, part-time, and full-time contingent faculty
at Boston-area colleges and universities including: Brandeis, Tufts,
Northeastern, Lesley, Bentley, and Boston University.



As the State’s largest union of contingent faculty working at private
universities, we are working with our members, their students,
tenure-stream supporters, and community organizations to increase faculty
voice on campus and support teaching, learning, and research. Of particular
concern to the faculty we represent (and their students) is the increasing
corporatization of higher education and the disparate treatment of adjunct
faculty.



Our work to address this concern includes working with state lawmakers to
pass legislation that addresses the industry-wide treatment of adjuncts. We
have worked with lawmakers to introduce House Bill 2236
<https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H2236>, which seeks to enact fair
compensation and scheduling standards for adjuncts. If enacted, this bill
would dramatically improve the working conditions of thousands of
Massachusetts adjuncts, as well as the quality of their students’
education! In order to get this bill passed, we will need to show strong
faculty support. We are reaching out to faculty around the state to get
them involved and let them know of ways to show their support for the bill.
There will be a public hearing in room A-1 of the State House on Thursday,
June 29, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. We will meet in room 437 prior to the hearing and
give out Higher Ed T-shirts so we can show strength in numbers at the
hearing.



This bill has the opportunity to dramatically impact the pay and job
security for adjunct faculty, but without the support of constituents like
you, it could die in committee. I would love to talk further with you about
the bill and upcoming opportunities to get involved!



Best Wishes,


Dennis MacDonald, Faculty Forward Organizer
dmacdonald@seiu509.org
(781) 883-7519
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RESOURCES:

"Reclaiming the Ivory Tower: Organizing Adjuncts to Change Higher Education". by Joe Berry, from Monthly Review Press, 2005. Look at <http://www.reclaimingtheivorytower.org> for full information, individual sales, bulk ordering discounts, or to invite me to speak at an event or email joeberry@igc.org. 

To regularly receive this periodic news aggregator, COCAL Updates, Email <joeberry@igc.org>  Itisarchivedathttp://precaritydispatches.tumblr.com/COCAL-Updates-Archive 

To join international COCAL listserve email <http://adj-l.org/mailman/listinfo/adj-l_adj-l.org> If this presents problems, send an e-mail to vtirelli@aol.com or, send "Subscribe" to <adj-l@adj-l.org> 

Join the national membership organization for contingent faculty and their allies, New Faculty Majority (NFM). Support, resources,and strategies for all things related to precarious faculty. <www.Newfacultymajority.info>

Plan to attend COCAL XIII in Queretaro, Mexico, at the Autonomous University of Queretaro, August 2018. 
See www.cocalinternational.org for reports of COCAL XII Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and plans for COCAL XIII. Reports and full presentations  from COCAL XII, August 2016, Edmonton, Alberta, CAN:   see https://sites.google.com/site/cocalxii/home
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Joe Berry
 <joeberry@igc.org> 
510-527-5889 phone/fax
21 San Mateo Road, 
Berkeley, CA 94707
cell-802-380-0193