Organizing Update

Marquette University

Last week, workers on the campus of Marquette University kicked off their drive to form a union under the United Campus Workers-CWA banner. Reasons they gave for the move included insufficient wages, lack of professional development, and no promotion structure. The decision to form a union comes just three weeks after the university announced major cuts to the annual operating budget. More than 130 university faculty members signed an open letter in which they accused the university of mismanagement of funds.

When asked why they are organizing, Ayo Ibiyemi, an English Ph.D. student, said, "Nothing is going to change on campus for the better until we organize. Nothing. This is our only chance to make things good." Josh Seidman, a graduate worker in the Mathematics Department, said, "I'm looking forward to helping the graduate workers on campus get better healthcare and properly compensated for our work."

Hayden Blankenship, an organizer working with the Marquette workers, said, “We’re organizing a wall-to-wall union on Marquette’s campus to build a wide-ranging coalition of workers.”

Campus workers are energized and ready to make their voices heard.

 
Faculty and student workers at Wisconsin’s Marquette University have begun organizing to form a union with the United Campus Workers of Wisconsin.

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Abilene State Supported Living Center

Workers at Abilene State Supported Living Center (TSEU-CWA Local 6186) welcomed 17 newcomers to the union ranks in a single day last week. Workers were excited to join the fight for better pay and quality state services.