November 2, 2022
We’ve Won Our Union!
Great news! On November 1st, 2022 the Washington State Public Employee Relations Commission confirmed that WSU CASE resoundingly exceeded the simple majority necessary to form our union! After submitting cards from a supermajority of current ASEs at WSU we have overcome hurdle after hurdle by continuing to take action, speak out, and mobilize together. Most recently we sent a letter to WSU admin signed by ASEs from nearly every department urging WSU to prevent further delays to the certification process by promptly providing the remaining signatures necessary for card-check. This effort was successful. This is a monumental moment for both the ASEs of Washington State and for the ASE labor movement. Congratulations to everyone who worked together to make WSU a more just and equitable institution!
What Happens Next?
As with any victory, there is work to still be done. We will be holding our Monthly Meeting in the upcoming weeks where we will touch base and continue on in our work. Please stay on the lookout for details. However, this is not just a time for work. This is an incredible occasion that deserves a celebration! We will also be holding a social in the next week so that we can come together and relish in this triumphant moment. We all deserve it! So please also be on the lookout for details for that as well.
Bargaining
Now that we have our union, we are able to use our power to make WSU a better place. We will do this by using our collective voice to bargain for a union contract. To bargain most powerfully and effectively, it is important that a strong majority of ASEs share their priorities for our strong first contract by taking the bargaining survey. Now that we have our union and are a big step closer to bargaining, so make sure to take the survey! The bargaining survey can be accessed here.
In addition to providing input about priorities via the bargaining survey, ASEs will be electing a Bargaining Committee. The Bargaining Committee will be the ones who, meet with WSU administration at the bargaining table to negotiate terms based on input from ASEs, as well as mobilize our colleagues as necessary to win a strong first contract. If this is something you would be interested in, stay tuned for information on the nomination process and feel free to reach out with any questions.
In solidarity,
Aurora Brinkman, Psychology (Pullman)
Priyanka Bushana, Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience (Spokane)
Carla De Lira, Computer Science (Pullman)
Gavin Doyle, English (Pullman)
Yiran Guo, Materials Science and Engineering (Pullman)
Danielle Holt, School of the Environment (Pullman)
Aaron Jesch, History (Vancouver)
Kelsey King, School of Biological Sciences (Vancouver)
Daniel McCloskey, Anthropology (Pullman)
Danny Powell, Veterinary Medicine (Pullman)
Kyle Rakowski, Sociology (Pullman)
Sadie Ridgeway, Sociology (Pullman)
Claudia Skinner, Languages, Cultures and Race (Pullman)
WSU-CASE/UAW Organizing Committee