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SUUVA Takes Stand for Dignity
Building a union for staff and graduate assistants at the University of Virginia has been a tough fight for CWA Local 2211.
The local, comprising SUUVA, the Staff Union at the university, and GLU, the Graduate Labor Union, has a combined 400 members on payroll dues deduction - a remarkable feat in a right-to-work (for less) state and with no collective bargaining rights.
Jan Cornell, SUUVA president and organizer, said University President John Casteen has chosen to ignore repeated requests to meet and discuss wages and working conditions.
But when she spoke to the media about an alleged racial slur in November, he was forced to acknowledge the existence of the union and enter into a public debate on the merits of the allegation. About 35 SUUVA members picketed the university's medical center Nov. 21 to call attention to a racially inflammatory remark made by a supervisor.
Casteen assured the local that "appropriate action has been taken." After CWA reported a subsequent incident involving racial graffiti in a restroom at the university's medical center, Cornell said, "they took care of it right away."
Cornell said the local supported Democrat Mark Warner in his bid for election to the governorship in 2002, and is hopeful he will grant "meet and confer" status to aid the local in representing 15,000 potential members.
Meanwhile, she said, "I will continue to inform the administration about racism, discrimination, mistreatment of employees by managers and retaliation issues until UVA is a safe place to work for everyone of every race."
The local, comprising SUUVA, the Staff Union at the university, and GLU, the Graduate Labor Union, has a combined 400 members on payroll dues deduction - a remarkable feat in a right-to-work (for less) state and with no collective bargaining rights.
Jan Cornell, SUUVA president and organizer, said University President John Casteen has chosen to ignore repeated requests to meet and discuss wages and working conditions.
But when she spoke to the media about an alleged racial slur in November, he was forced to acknowledge the existence of the union and enter into a public debate on the merits of the allegation. About 35 SUUVA members picketed the university's medical center Nov. 21 to call attention to a racially inflammatory remark made by a supervisor.
Casteen assured the local that "appropriate action has been taken." After CWA reported a subsequent incident involving racial graffiti in a restroom at the university's medical center, Cornell said, "they took care of it right away."
Cornell said the local supported Democrat Mark Warner in his bid for election to the governorship in 2002, and is hopeful he will grant "meet and confer" status to aid the local in representing 15,000 potential members.
Meanwhile, she said, "I will continue to inform the administration about racism, discrimination, mistreatment of employees by managers and retaliation issues until UVA is a safe place to work for everyone of every race."