Tag: Julie Kushner

Harvard Student Workers Win Their Union, Join UAW

Successful vote is latest victory in growing grad worker union movement “We have been organizing for a long time,” said Niharika Singh, a Ph.D. student in Public Policy and a Teaching Fellow. “Winning our union today means we can finally start to make improvements to our working conditions. Our next step will be to democratically prioritize the changes we plan to bargain for.” “This has been an incredibly long haul, and we are so energized by this vote,” said Abraham Waldman, a Ph.D. student and Research Assistant in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department. “As hard as we worked to ... Read more

UAW Brothers and Sisters in Puerto Rico desperately need our help

Our UAW Brothers and Sisters in Puerto Rico desperately need our help – and they need it now. Our UAW members living on the Island — and Puerto Rican families of UAW members here — are facing horrific conditions resulting from hurricane Maria. There is no electricity. Many people have no food or water. There is a serious shortage of fuel and barely any cell phone service. Much of the country is inaccessible because roads and bridges are impassable. Hospital generators are lacking the fuel necessary to operate 24 hours a day. The situation is dire, and the expectation is ... Read more

UAW Local 3999 Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association Extends Contract Deadline and Prepares for Strike

Bath, ME – Members of UAW Local 3999 Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association (BMDA) agreed over the weekend to extend their contract by one week and continue negotiations. A deadline to strike has been set for Monday, Sept. 25 upon expiration of the contract extension. After weeks of negotiations, members voted against a final offer from the company on Saturday. On Sunday, members voted overwhelmingly to prepare for a strike if negotiations this week are not successful. “While we continue to engage with the company to negotiate a better proposal for our members and their families, we are also making sure ... Read more

Boston College Graduate Workers Win Their Union, Join UAW

Vote is the latest in a string of academic organizing victories as movement for grad worker unionization grows Boston, MA – Graduate workers at Boston College have voted 270  in favor to 224 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), according to ballots tallied Wednesday night by the National Labor Relations Board. Their victory caps a three-year effort to win recognition and required them to overcome a hostile employer, who sent out last-minute emails via campus Deans urging a no vote. With this vote, more than 10,000 academic workers have opted to become part of the UAW in the Northeast ... Read more

NLRB Confirms Massive 99.6% “UNION YES” Vote by Graduate Workers at The New School

Momentum grows in New York City as New School RAs and TAs join colleagues at NYU and Columbia by voting overwhelmingly for UAW New York City – Research and teaching assistants at The New School voted by an overwhelming margin – 502 to 2 – in favor of United Auto Workers representation in a recent union election, the National Labor Relations Board’s New York regional office confirmed today.  “We are extremely excited by this overwhelming vote in support of our Union,” said Zoe Carey, a PhD student in Sociology who has worked as an RA and TA and has been an ... Read more

UAW Women’s History Month Spotlight: Julie Kushner

Women have had important roles in UAW history and today women leaders in the UAW are continuing that legacy of leadership. Region 9A Director Julie Kushner has spent her life advocating for social justice for workers and women. Her earliest memories are of her mother showing her what women can achieve when they decide to make the world a better place.

NLRB Upholds Columbia Graduate Workers’ Overwhelming Vote for Union

Columbia Graduate Workers Call on Administration to Respect Democratic Vote and Join Efforts to Strengthen University   NEW YORK – Columbia University research assistants and teaching assistants – whose landmark case restored union rights for graduate workers nationwide – are calling on university administrators to join them at the table and begin their important work to bargain a strong contract that prioritizes a fair, safe and respectful working environment. Today, the National Labor Relations Board’s Brooklyn office upheld graduate workers’ election in December to choose Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers (GWC-UAW) as their union. In her ruling, Hearing Officer ... Read more

BCGEU-UAW Files Election Petition with NLRB after Two-Year Organizing Campaign

CHESTNUT HILL, Massachusetts—The Boston College Graduate Employees Union-United Auto Workers (BCGEU-UAW) today will deliver a petition for a union election with the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Boston. The filing follows the NLRB’s ruling in August that restored collective bargaining rights to graduate student workers, and is the result of two years of organizing by graduate employees at Boston College. “It’s a thrilling moment for us after so much hard work,” said Sriram Natarajan, a Ph.D. student in economics. “And it’s great news for international students like me, to have our voices strengthened by a ... Read more

UAW regional director says Governor Cuomo’s “Buy American” plan is a boost for American workers and manufacturers

(New York) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new “Buy American” initiative announced this week mandates support for American workers and manufacturers that they deserve, said UAW Region 9A Director Julie Kushner. During his 2017 State of the State address Jan. 11, the governor unveiled details of the “Buy American” plan’s sweeping legislative reforms that require state procurements over $100,000 to give preference to American-made goods and products. Described as the strongest mandate of its kind in the nation, it requires state entities to purchase American-made products for government goods and services. “This announcement from Governor Cuomo shows the kind of leadership ... Read more

NEW YORK CITY DCAS ANNOUNCES FLEET CONTRACT WITH GENERAL MOTORS (GM) FOR THE ELECTRIC BOLT

NEW YORK––The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) today announced that the City has completed a contract with General Motors (GM) to procure the new, all-electric GM Chevrolet Bolt for use in the City’s fleet. The new contract with GM will help the City reach its goal of acquiring 1,000 electric vehicles by the end of 2017, creating the largest municipal electric vehicle fleet in the nation. This is part of the City’s goal to cut municipal vehicle emissions in half by 2025 and 80 percent by 2035, an aspect of Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC plan, which aims to create ... Read more