January 2026 - CGE Newsletter - lists.cge6069.org

National Day of Action and Fight for our Future!
by Serena Frazee 30 Jan '26

30 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *CGE hosted ICE response training* If you are interested being more informed and empowered to respond to ICE, you can attend a training by experts, hosted by CGE. Reach out to vp_ organizing(a)cge6069.org <organizer(a)cge6069.org>. - *Late winter appointment letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your received your appointment letter for Winter after November 16th please reach out to vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *Thank you to everyone participating in the ICE Out National Day of Action!* Today people across the country went on strike, walked out of schools, and refrained from shopping— choosing to take action instead of going about normal life while ICE commits widespread violence. This afternoon grads brought our collective power to this movement through a walkout and rally, and I'm sure many more participated in other ways. I am proud of all of you. Before the rally we took some time to imagine the world we would like to see and the things we would have to do to get there. In a time when it can be hard to hope, it was refreshing to wildly imagine. I found myself sharing things I normally wouldn't even let myself hope for. Our VP for Solidarity Kaelan Weiss reminded us that a better world is possible, but it won't fall onto our doorsteps. We were invited to think about a sacrifice we would be willing to make in order to see our hopes come true. The history of labor unions shows us that when people come together, make sacrifices, and take risks, we can achieve change that benefits everyone. - *CGE Hardship Fund closing today!* The Hardship Fund is open to all CGE members and associate members. There are no strings attached to the hardship fund and you will never be asked to pay back any funds you receive. Information about the Hardship Fund and the link to apply can be found here <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cge60…>. Keep in mind that the hardship fund is powered entirely by associate member and legacy member dues. OSU’s Hardship fund has more resources but is much less transparent. If you want assistance applying to OSU’s fund, email solidarity(a)cge6069.org. - *Fight for our Future: protect public education and public workers* Due to federal tax changes, Oregon's budget is in a dire state and in order to balance the books, there is the potential of severe layoffs if we do not act. Lawmakers need to hear from the people that could be impacted by these cuts, including educators like many of us. There will be opportunities to mobilize and testify February 3rd in-person or virtually against a “cuts budget” and a February 5th mass rally in Salem. Also *please **Email Your Lawmaker ASAP <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XsgVjW7QA7OSmjnMmxCgbqnLWhDoJGsyAfYM1bn…>.* Upcoming Events - Provide testimony for Fight for our Future: Feb 3rd 5-8pm *RSVP <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScq_baqi0jl-iAT-zm98_cXlmBySrOuCjY…>* and *Testimony Toolkit <https://secure.ngpvan.com/QvgilOzUVUWqeFY8GcGU_A2>*. *Only 1-2 minutes, we need to pack the hearing to outspeak business interests!* - Associated rally: Feb 5th 12-2pm *RSVP <https://actionnetwork.org/events/fight-for-our-future-3/>* and *Resources <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k53bR79dnvoPdlWoQD_Nloi0HNI8jsJw?us…>* . *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus*: Wednesday 2-3pm on zoom. Reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org for the zoom link. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. *Environmental Justice Caucus:* Every other Monday (not next Monday!), 1pm at the Biere Library. Reach out to vp_politics(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Hardship fund open, a farewell, Oregon budget, and bargainig
by Serena Frazee 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *CGE hosted ICE response training* If you are interested being more informed and empowered to respond to ICE, you can attend a training by experts, hosted by CGE. Reach out to organizer(a)cge6069.org. - *Late winter appointment letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your received your appointment letter for Winter after November 16th please reach out to vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *CGE Hardship Fund is open from now-January 30th!* The Hardship Fund is open to all CGE members and associate members. There are no strings attached to the hardship fund and you will never be asked to pay back any funds you receive. Information about the Hardship Fund and the link to apply can be found here <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cge60…>. Keep in mind that the hardship fund is powered entirely by associate member and legacy member dues. OSU’s Hardship fund has more resources but is much less transparent. If you want assistance applying to OSU’s fund, email solidarity(a)cge6069.org. - *Thank you and farewell* From our staff organizer, Lauren Nelson: After almost 3 years working with the incredible grad workers at CGE, I will be moving on to work with another local. I have loved organizing with you all during this time and will miss this local so much! I am sure I will see from a distance how much organizing capacity you all continue to build over the years, including the next contract campaign. If you know of an organizer looking for work in the next couple of months, please tell them to be on the lookout for this job posting! Solidarity forever! If you have been to any CGE event you have almost certainly come across Lauren, as she has been working hard for us through everything. In bargaining, filing grievances, raising money for grads, she has been there with us. She has been an advisor, support, and cheerleader for grads. We are so grateful and wish her nothing but the best moving forward. Upcoming Events - *Emergency Teach-In on Oregon's Budget Crisis: January 29th, 5pm, Westminster House* From the Fight for Our Future campaign: *Oregon is projected to lose billions* due to the passage of Trump's tax-slashing giveaway to the wealthiest mega-corporations. In order to pay for these cuts, lawmakers are considering cuts to higher education & services. *There are smart, fair options that will not balance the budget solely on the backs of working families and public workers. *Join the emergency teach-in to learn more and get tools to organize! See you there! - *Bargaining: January 30th 2-5pm, Cascade Hall, room 139/140* Come to bargaining to support for grads who have experienced loss of providers, increasing medication prices, and more as the result of the health care change. Showing up is a great way to show we are united in caring for our community. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus*: Tuesday 2-3pm on zoom. Reach out to vp_membership(a)cge6069.org for the zoom link. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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ICE rally tomorrow morning! And Cigna office hours and ICE response training
by Serena Frazee 15 Jan '26

15 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *CGE hosted ICE response training* If you are interested being more informed and empowered to respond to ICE, you can attend a training by experts, hosted by CGE. Reach out to organizer(a)cge6069.org. - *Late winter appointment letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your received your appointment letter for Winter after November 16th please reach out to vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Cigna and Student Health Services* Several grad employees have reported having visits to Student Health Services treated as out-of-network by Cigna. OSU Human Resources have confirmed that Student Health Services is in-network and said that Cigna is reprocessing claims where Student Health Services was incorrectly treated as out-of-network. If you have this issue you can reach out to Cigna and they should be able to help. You can also reach out to us and OSU Human Resources. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *ICE walkout and rally tomorrow! Meet at MU steps 9:15, march to courthouse 10:15* We cannot proceed with business as normal as militarized immigration enforcement endangers our community. Join us tomorrow to demand an end of ICE presence and accountability for the violence in Minnesota, in Portland, and across the country. We will meet tomorrow at 9:45am on the steps of the Memorial Union then march to the courthouse starting at 10:15. - *Upcoming Cigna office hours and presentations* Cigna will be hosting office hours and presentations next week, both virtually and in-person in order to answer questions about our new health insurance. See 1/12 email from Grad Health for more information. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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Protest tomorrow, response to news, and Cigna-Student Health Services
by Serena Frazee 09 Jan '26

09 Jan '26

*Dear CGE Members and Community,* *Quick Little Reminders* - *Late Winter Appointment Letters* Late appointment letters can be frustrating, destabilizing, and frightening. Therefore, OSU owes grads 50$ for late appointment letters. If your appointment letter for Winter term is late, look out for an email from vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org in the coming weeks. - *Bargaining Committee (meets Wednesday 11-1pm @WestM):* *Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! *If you are interested in learning more about or even joining the Bargaining Committee please email vp_bargaining(a)cge6069.org with a non-OSU email indicating your interest. Anyone can attend bargaining committee meetings, even if you are not a member of the team. *We are especially interested in making **sure that we have representation from masters students, international **students, humanities students, queer students, students of color, and **any other group of students who face challenges that can be addressed **through contract negotiations.* No prior experience in research/negotiations is expected or required. Announcements - *Response to Recent News* We would like to pass on a statement from Ariana Jacob, the president of American Federation of Teachers Oregon (our state level parent union): Today we are reeling from the news that two people in Portland were shot by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents. We believe they are in the hospital and will recover, but we don’t have all the details yet. We are however certain that the presence of militarized homeland security agents makes all of us more vulnerable to violence, unlawful arrests, and being shot. Enough is enough. We call for an end to ICE operations in our communities and external oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, which has shown itself to be unable and uninterested in holding itself accountable. We also condemn and grieve the horrifying murder of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Our hearts go out to her family and community. An independent investigation that involves state and local officials must be allowed to take place. On behalf of the AFT-Oregon Executive Council, we strongly condemn the latest actions by the Trump administration, ICE and Homeland Security. The invasion of Venezuela, kidnapping of their president, and hijacking of their oil tankers are all violations of both U.S. and international law. We demand that Congress immediately rein in this lawless administration, and if Congress cannot do that we know we need to act together as a labor community to protect our democracy. You can write a letter <https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.qUXRBnqZ7T8nxbpAcIVwoUsWLkUMWlo_0…> to your congressional representatives about this. We echo the above statement; state violence and authoritarianism must end. We stand with those who have suffered at the hands of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. We are committed to protecting and supporting our community, and opposing ICE actions here and everywhere. In addition to the above call to write to your representatives, there are many other actions we can take. There are protests across the region, including tomorrow 1/10 12-2 at the Benton County Courthouse. You can also donate to Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (https://pircoregon.org/donate) and get trained in responding to ICE presence. If you are interested in attending ICE response training hosted by CGE reach out to organizer(a)cge6069.org. - *Cigna and Student Health Services* Several grad employees have reported having visits to Student Health Services treated as out-of-network by Cigna, which contradicts what OSU reported earlier. Fortunately, when we reached out OSU Human Resources they confirmed that Student Health Services is in-network. They said that Cigna is reprocessing claims where Student Health Services was incorrectly treated as out-of-network. If you have this issue you can reach out to Cigna and they should be able to help. You can also reach out to us and OSU Human Resources. Upcoming Events - *ICE Out for Good, Tomorrow 1/10, 12-2pm, Benton County Courthouse* Come together to honor lives taken by ICE, demand accountability for ICE's violent actions, connect with others, and demand ICE leave our community. *Committees and Caucuses that need your help* Grad workers are capable and passionate people who can together exercise great power. One of the ways we do that is through caucuses and committees. All meetings are at WestM unless otherwise stated. *Grievance Committee: *A great opportunity for people to learn more about the contract and how we defend it. Meets Fridays at 4pm. Email vp_grievances(a)cge6069.org for more information. *International Caucus: *The CGE International Caucus is open to all graduate students regardless of CGE membership status and serves to represent the concerns of all international students at Oregon State University. The International Graduate Caucus recognizes that international graduate students attending OSU have unique needs and difficulties in comparison to US students. Reach out to president(a)cge6069.org. In solidarity, Serena Frazee (she/her) VP for Communications, Coalition of Graduate Employees, AFT Local 6069 PhD Student in Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

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