Graduate Employee Strike at UO and Fighting for Worker Control w/ Lola Loustaunau

The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF 3544) has authorized a strike to begin on November 4, 2019 at the University of Oregon. More than 1,000 workers authorized the strike after 11 months of intense negotiations with university management.

Lola Loustaunau, a graduate employee and member of GTFF, discusses the strategy GTFF has adopted for their collective bargaining efforts, the reasons the strike has been authorized, and the broader experience these negotiations have had on fellow workers and union members.

She also provides personal insights into how public universities are using a post-Janus environment as an opportunity to try to discipline and destroy higher ed unions, and for these reasons along with many others unions need to recommit to a vision of fundamentally transforming society and ending exploitation.

We also had a brief interview with Erin Kanzig, VP of Bargaining for the Coalition of Graduate Employees (CGE 6069) about their current collective bargaining efforts and their goals in bargaining.

#gtff3544 #cge6069 #giveusanedraise #strike #1u #lolaloustaunau #alexriccio #erinkanzig #theeohsees #universityoforegon

Democratic Socialism In The Oregon Legislature w/ Paige Kreisman

Paige Kreisman has launched a bid for District 42 of the Oregon legislature and openly proclaims herself to be a socialist with a platform to support working-class Oregonians.

She is endorsed by the Portland Democratic Socialists of America, and independents For Progressive Action (Our Revolution, Clackamas County). Paige is the electoral and legislative co-chair for Portland DSA, and a board member for Portland Tenants United. She is a disabled veteran, and the first trans woman to run for the state legislature in Oregon. Paige is calling for an Oregon Green New Deal, campaign finance reform, housing justice, and to defend Oregon's public employees and unions. Learn more about Paige's 100% people powered campaign at Paige2020.com.

You Say You Want A General Strike? w/ Marianne Garneau

Calls for general strikes in the United States have become commonplace. But what precisely is a general strike, and do they accomplish the robust social changes proponents imagine? These questions are addressed in Marianne Garneau's recent article "You Say You Want A General Strike" published at Organizing Work and make up the substance of our conversation.

#generalstrike #mariannegarneau #organizingwork #union #labor #austerity #neoliberalism