Dear CGE Members and Community,


Quick Little Reminders
  •  Election Day: remember to vote!
Tuesday is election day for the midterms, remember to vote and mail or drop your ballot off at one of the designation spots (one on campus next to Gill Coliseum) soon!
  • Summer appointment letters
Summer appointment letters were due on May 2nd. If you are expecting a summer position but did not receive confirmation until after May 2nd you may be due compensation for a contract violation. If you think this may be you please reach out. Late appointment letters are an frequent issue, and our VP for Grievances Christopher is filing a stage three grievance on this issue.

  • We still need to hear from you! Please fill out the Bargaining Priorities Survey

Our hardworking bargaining team have started preparing for the next round of bargaining, and need our input! They have made an anonymous survey (here) to produce a bargaining platform and contract language that meets workers needs. This is a great opportunity to help shape your working conditions!

  • We need your help to bring your healthcare providers in-network. Please share a list of providers you would like to bring in-network in this brief, anonymous survey

The survey also includes the option to provide more detailed information about your healthcare providers (both in-network and out-of-network with Cigna). This information will help provide further context for your bargaining team, and be part of creating a list of recommended providers for new grad workers and others looking for healthcare.


Announcements

  • Executive Council nominations closing TODAY! We need you!

The CGE Executive Council are volunteers who do the day-to-day work of our union. The EC is elected by members and is made up of members: that could be you, your best friend, or any other member. Members should check their email for a link to nominate people (including yourself) for a variety of roles (more info here!). No experience needed, just a willingness to step up and support your coworkers.

  • Strike fund bill passes

CGE members have unanimously voted in support of a change to bylaws (read our constitution and bylaws here) to redirect a minimum of 2.5% of dues into a permanent Strike Fund.

  • Fellows' Union campaign heading to a hearing

Following the submission of the Fellows' Union petition, OSU responded by asserting that fellows aren't workers — devaluing fellows' labor that advances the university's prestige and goals. They made the same claim about Graduate Research Assistants in the past and were proved wrong in a hearing with the Oregon Employment Relations Board. Now we need to do it again! The hearing is set for June 23rd and June 24th, and we need fellows, former fellows, or advisors of fellows, to give testimony about fellows' work. If you are able to provide such testimony please reach out!

Upcoming Events

  • Pizza and Zine-Making with the Disability Justice and Mental Health Super Caucus, Tuesday May 26th, 5-7pm, WestM student lounge

Have a meal and bring your ideas to work collaboratively on a mutual aid zine. RSVP and add your zine ideas here!

  • Brew-Off: June 6th, 6-9pm, Avery Park

I hope all the brewers are brewing! Brew-off is THE union social event of the year, with homebrews for competition (beer, kombucha, whatever), supplemental professional brews, music, dancing, food, and, as always, solidarity. Mark your calendars, thank your yeast, see you soon!

  • CGE trivia: sometime soon, check back here for more details tbd!


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.
Bargaining Team: Like everything else CGE does, the impact bargaining team is made up of members - that’s you! If you are concerned about the change in our health care from PacificSource to Cigna and want to get involved, please reach out to Cortney at vp_bargaining@cge6069.org or just come to a meeting! There are many ways you can contribute - doing research, helping draft contract language, and/or being a negotiator. Meetings are Fridays 9:30-11 am in the Student Lounge of WestM.
Constitution and Bylaws Committee: This committee meets to go over CGE's constitution and bylaws and suggest changes to them, which members will vote on at the spring general membership meeting. This year, one of our main focuses will be on solidifying the existence of a strike fund in our constitution. If you have any ideas about other changes that need to be made to the constitution or bylaws, please join the committee! This committee will only need to meet a few times during Spring Term, so it's a pretty easy way to get involved if you've been looking for a place to get plugged in. If you're interested you can either email me (president@cge6069.org)
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@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