Officer Candidates
| President | Shawna Meechan Jon LaRochelle |
| VP for Organizing | Annie Caruso |
| VP for Grievances | Eleanor Wakefield |
| VP for Political Education | Kadie Manion |
| VP for External Relations | Natalie Brenner |
| VP for Operations | Jessica Neafie |
| VP for Member Communications | Patrick Griener |
| Treasurer | Denielle Perry |
Graduate Assistance Fund Committee Candidates
- Shawna Meechan
I am running to be one of the GTFF representatives on the Grad Assistance Fund Committee because I am incredibly invested in ensuring that this program is fair and works for GTFs as it was intended. I currently serve on the committee and have been elected as Chair through the end of next school year (if I am elected). I hope that my continued involvement will provide continuity to this very new program and that my experiences as VP of Grievances will allow me to give certain insights for the other Committee members if and when we are asked to review any appeals. I hope you will vote for me for this position.
- Benedikt Springer
Statements
President Candidates
- Shawna Meechan
I am running for president of the GTFF for several reasons. First, and foremost, I love this union and the people in it. During the course of my three years at UO, I have gotten to know and work with so many people with different academic interests and talents and I take enormous pride in representing you all currently as the VP of Grievances. In this capacity and through my work on the bargaining committee the last two years, I have become an expert on the various aspects of our CBA and how we can make them work for us. I have also been able to help a few people deal with tough situations and ensure that the University follows our contract. These processes have also allowed me to get to know many of the administrators on campus that we will be continuing to work with over the next several years and I have built good working relationship with them that would greatly benefit the union if I was President. As president over the next year I would hope to continue to build relationships across campus and across departments within the GTFF, build new and more meaningful relationships with our fellow unions on campus and throughout the state, and guide the GTFF through a another bargaining cycle which is sure to be contentious. I hope you will consider voting for me to lead you over the next year.
- Jon LaRochelle
We are at a crucial juncture in our union’s (almost!) 40 year history. Coming off of our first strike, next year’s negotiations will be crucial in setting us on the path forward. With significant flux in the UO administration, this is a moment of possibility. The GTFF can be a powerful force in setting a positive course for the campus community.
If you’ll have me as president, I have three interconnected goals for the coming year:
1) Union Building – First and foremost, we need a strong and unified GTFF community to move forward. This will require face to face conversations, social events, and collective decision making and action. We need to ensure that the union is transparent and accessible to ALL members, for which a strong and well supported caucus structure is key. Finally, it’s time to build capacity, for: effective bargaining, passing GTF-friendly legislation, and supporting our friends and allies on and off campus.
2) Community Building – Our goals and efforts do not exist in a vacuum. Our success is deeply intertwined with other struggles in our campus and local community. We should strengthen relationships with groups across campus, and support efforts in the surrounding community where possible. UO politics are deeply tied to state and national politics, and we have allies on other campuses confronting the same issues of disinvestment, privatization, and the possibility of anti-worker legislation that we do. We should know more about these issues, and seek out opportunities to address them together.
3) Bargaining – The upcoming round of negotiations is an opportunity for unity and clarity of vision. We can’t get overly bogged down in antagonistic politics. Instead, we need a clear, positive vision of the University that we want to work in, and the knowledge and strategy to get us there. This can only happen through a combination of strong participation in setting our platform, and well supported Bargaining and Contract Campaign committees.
I was involved with the last round of bargaining from start to finish, and I have relationships with many of our allies at the local, state, and national level. This is a list of things I know we can accomplish, and I hope you’ll let me help get us there.
VP for Organizing Candidates
- Annie Caruso
Annie of Anthropology is my official non-land-holding title. This past year I have served as one of the stewards for the Department of Anthropology, helping to rally our troops and keep our momentum before and during the strike. You may have seen me on the picket lines, banging a drum I made out of an empty oatmeal container! I was also one of the Union members who opted to attend a recent meeting with Frances Bronet and Jamie Moffitt, where I read a list of important concerns that my colleagues in Anthropology have concerning our treatment by the Administration.
I have a considerable amount of organizing experience, and I’d say that I’m top notch at herding cats, following through, and communicating clearly. For example, my GTF position this last year was to help organize a 600 person conference here in Eugene, and I’m proud to announce it went off without a hitch. The bottom line is that I care tremendously about our Union, and will give my all to this position should I be elected.
VP for Grievances Candidates
- Eleanore Wakefield
Hi, I’m Eleanor Wakefield, and I’m a (/the) candidate for VP of Grievances. I’m excited to participate more formally in the GTFF after two years as a steward and three additional years as a member. The VP of Grievances is your contact person when problems arise, and I want to be the approachable, helpful, calm presence who helps you resolve those problems. As an English PhD candidate, written communication is among my skills, so you can feel confident that my grievance letters will be especially effective. After talking to Amber and Shawna about this position, I’m really excited to take it on next school year!
VP for Political Education Candidates
- Kadie Manion
Greetings, comrades! I’m a second year graduate student in the sociology department and I’m running for VP of Political Education. I’ve been an active member of the union this past year as a steward, as a canvasser for the contract campaign committee (CCC), as a member of the Committee on Political Education (COPE), and as a picket captain during the strike. With the CCC, I’ve canvassed around many departments in order to inform our members of upcoming events and actions. With the COPE I’ve been writing blurbs for our [tentatively] forthcoming website and other documents. I attended the Graduate Employee Lobby Day in Salem where many of our members and members of CGE spoke with state legislators about creating a graduate employee seat on the Board of Trustees. This bill did not get passed on to the floor this legislative session but I plan to continue working on this effort with the COPE. I also plan to continue organizing our membership around local and statewide political and labor activism. I hope that through the COPE we can increase our solidarity with allies in the community, especially in anticipation for the 2016 elections and prospective right-to-work initiatives (Scary!). It has been truly inspiring to witness firsthand the strength of our union and I look to serving you all in this upcoming year. Thanks!
VP for External Relations Candidates
- Natalie Brenner
As your new VP of External Relations, my most basic goal would be to continue fostering and maintaining open lines of communication between the GTFF and other labor groups and allies on campus and at the local, state, and national levels. Beyond maintaining open communication between the GTFF and our allies, however, I would also like to work more internally to develop a strong Contract Campaign Committee as we head into another bargaining cycle, as well as form an External Relations Committee to increase GTFF members’ involvement in outreach and connection with our allies and the larger labor movement. I’d be honored and excited to work collaboratively toward these goals and to serve in this position for the coming year!
VP for Operations Candidates
- Jessica Neafie
I am interested in being your next VP for Operations. I am a political science steward in not only my second year as a graduate student at UO but also as a steward. Last year I got asked to be a steward in my department to represent the interests of new students like myself, and was interested to find out how a union worked. This was my first time as part of union, and coming from Florida I had never seen many union actions, but getting involved has taught me a lot about unions and solidarity. I have constantly been excited to be part of the GTFF, and becoming VP of Operations is yet another way I can give back to a union that I enjoy being a part of. I have worked the last two years to support my department and to ensure that their interests are expressed to the ecouncil and now I want to make sure that the interests of all GTFFers is expressed on the eboard and the health and welfare trust. I want to serve you all in the next year, plus I really like to plan parties!
VP for Member Communication Candidates
- Patrick Griener
Hello Cousins,
I am both excited and honored by the possibility of serving our union in the capacity of VP for member communications. In this role my primary aim will be to maintain and further our union’s tradition of strong membership participation by aiding our members in their efforts to stay informed and share information with one another. I am currently finishing my second year as a GTF in our sociology department and my first year as a steward. In that time I have been amazed and inspired by what we have been able to achieve, and by our consistent presence as a positive force in our community. Nothing would make me happier than to contribute to the success of our organization’s mission and be a part of its great legacy.
In Solidarity,
Patrick Greiner
Treasurer Candidates
- Denielle Perry
An effective organization depends on strong fiscal and financial administration. As the new Treasurer, I will ensure that budgetary operations are handled in a professional and timely manner to ensure the integrity of the GTFF’s financial backbone. I bring over 10 years of experience managing both for-profit and non-profit budgets, as well as fundraising. In addition, I bring over a year of service on the GTFF E-council as a steward for the Geography Department and as the Chair of the Parent’s Caucus. I have a healthy working relationship with the current E-Board and staff. I’m organized and love being part of our union. I’m looking forward to a new year of spreadsheets and bargaining!
Graduate Assistance Fund Committee Candidates
- Shawna Meechan
I am running to be one of the GTFF representatives on the Grad Assistance Fund Committee because I am incredibly invested in ensuring that this program is fair and works for GTFs as it was intended. I currently serve on the committee and have been elected as Chair through the end of next school year (if I am elected). I hope that my continued involvement will provide continuity to this very new program and that my experiences as VP of Grievances will allow me to give certain insights for the other Committee members if and when we are asked to review any appeals. I hope you will vote for me for this position.
- Benedikt Springer