As you’ve seen in our previous emails, instagram, or twitter, hundreds of Postdocs and Graduate Student Workers (GSWs) are signing up here to gather this Friday, July 19th at noon on the Parsons-Gates lawn on campus to challenge Caltech administration’s position that the status quo is enough to protect all workers from long-standing toxic, discriminatory practices in academia (Nature on GSWs/Postdocs) and changing immigration laws (2020).
Title IX is not enough, yet again:
“I was sexually harassed by a GSW during orientation week about my sexual orientation and gender identity. This GSW had also sexually harassed several other GSW, many of whom (including myself) anonymously reported to Title IX…I sat for 90 minutes during my appointment and no one showed up. I followed up with an email and I was told there was a scheduling error…and my report fizzled out to nothing.” – a GSW in CCE
Why We Need a Strong Union:
Nothing will be enforceable in our contract without the legal right and protections for Postdocs and GSWs to collectively organize our numbers and pool our resources. Power is based on two factors: organized money and organized people—both of which administrations use to dictate bargaining and later contract enforcement on their terms, even if doing so unlawfully. Of course, the administration has proposed two articles that would hamper rights won and maintain the status quo. Read more about Caltech admin’s position and why We Keep Us Safe, including concrete examples of how strong abusive conduct protections have altered power dynamics in academia (UC, UAW 4811).
Building Power From All Angles
It is far too soon to give up on winning much needed protections, so Postodcs and GSWs are beginning to wield every source of power available to us to win our demands. We are reaching out to local elected officials, like Senator Judy Chu, local papers to attract media attention, and other unions to build solidarity. Last Friday, after meeting with a few of our peers, Pasadena City Council Member-Elect Rick Cole was shocked to learn about our workplace and decided to reach out to the administration to voice his concerns, strongly encouraging good faith bargaining.
Ultimately our own collective action is the foundation for all of our power, at all angles. We must continue to show up, support each other, and let our priorities be known; we keep us safe. Hundreds of Postdocs and GSWs are signing up here to show the administration that we are united to change our status quo at Caltech on July 19th, 12-1pm.
In solidarity
Nina del Sur, Postdoc, PMA
Questions, comments, concerns can always be sent to organize@cgpu.org.
To attend bargaining or to see all proposed contract language, check out: https://caltechgpu.org/