The GTFF continues to see support from the community and beyond.
Lane County Commissioner, Pete Sorenson, a UO alumnus and strong advocate for teachers has sent us a letter of support.
Dear GTFF,
I know that you want to publicize who is supporting your efforts to support the Graduate Teaching Fellows at the University of Oregon. I support your right to organize, and if necessary, to strike.
Please include me in the list of the people supporting you.
I’m the son of a AFT local president (my dad, now deceased, was president of the AFT local at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay, Oregon), I had a 100 per cent Oregon AFT legislative record as an Oregon State Senator and as a Lane County Commissioner I’ve been supportive of all of the employees (and their right to organize) at the University of Oregon.
I’m very fortunate to have had many great graduate teaching fellows at the University. I earned my BA in geography, my MA in geography and my JD at the University.
I support the GTFs!
Very truly yours,
Pete Sorenson
Lane County Commissioner
South Eugene District
Eugene, Oregon
The Democratic Party of Lane County sent a letter of support. They were also kind enough to let us use some of their office space this past week while preparing for a strike.
This week we’ve received a letter of support from the Eugene chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (#675). Among other things, IATSE #675 is the union responsible for handling the utilities at the Matthew Knight Arena, as well as concerts, trade shows, conventions, and performing arts in Eugene and Corvallis.
The TeachingAssistants/Graduate Assistants from The Rutgers University AAUP/AFT chapter have sent their support to the GTFF.
We, the graduate students of the AAUP-AFT of Rutgers University, applaud the bargaining efforts of the GTFF at the University of Oregon, and support your decision to strike. By insisting on a contract with humane conditions, the GTFF sets an example for graduate students at other institutions, and we appreciate your efforts here at Rutgers.
We know first-hand what it is like to try to negotiate with an administration that is not willing to listen or compromise. We know first-hand what it is like to be ignored as graduate student workers. We also know first-hand what it is like to voice our concerns putting up a struggle with any possible means.
We are aware that higher education here in the US is becoming more corporatized with a technocratic body of administrators who know “better.” We are aware that higher education moves in a direction where flexibilization of labor becomes the rule, in order to “reduce costs.” We are aware that we receive wages that neither reflect the amount of labor we put in nor allow us to properly provide for ourselves and our families. We are aware that our voices will be ignored systematically if we do not speak up by channeling our power into certain channels.
We strongly support the decision of strike by the GTFFs at University of Oregon and we believe our labor is our power.
In solidarity,
The Rutgers AAUP-AFT TA/GA Steering Committee