Joe Berry's COCAL Updates 17Mar12

Email joeberry@igc.org, to subscribe to regular updates in brief and links by email. More about Joe Berry. 

Updates in brief and links

LABOR*ED

The war on teachers (by a very good labor historian Mark Naison). WaPo.

Labor Heritage Foundation presents its own Great Labor Arts Exchange, Conference on Creative Organizing, and Camp Solidarity June 22-25, 2012 located this year at Conference Center at the Maritime Trades Institute, just outside of Baltimore, MD.    

We are looking for presenters, workshops, and participants for our June annual gathering now in its 34th year and shaping up to be a very exciting program.  Register now for the early bird special rate of $99.00 (regular) and $75.00 (for students, youth, and seniors). The Great Labor Arts Exchange is a gathering of union and community activists, rank and filers, organizers, cultural workers, artists, labor educators, and youth who use, or support the use of, songs, art, poetry, theater, skits, posters, cartoons, and film to strengthen the labor movement.  You don't need to be an artist or performer to attend or perform! 

Registration information, now being taken online. Follow us on Twitter at @GreatLaborArts ~ Strengthening the labor movement through the use of arts and culture...and creative organizing 

EAST COAST

Labor Notes article on American U (DC) adjunct union victory

Left Forum sessions of interest to contingent faculty

Take action in support of refiling grad union petition at New York U 

1. Go to the NLRB Facebook Page and write in the comment section of the top post this statement: NYU Grad Students have waited long enough for a decision - please do the right thing now 
2. If you have a twitter account tweet: @NLRB NYU Grad Students have waited long enough 4 a decision- do the right thing now! http://bit.ly/GSOC2110 #p2 #wiunion #uaw PLS RT. Then go to the Act.ly petition and sign it by tweet
3. Text or email your friends to do the same. 

More on U of Maryland deal for partial CB rights with national AFT, causing some consternation among local members

WEST COAST

Santa Monica College proposes to let students in after classes reach cap, if they pay much higher fees (to their SMC foundation). Some are calling this the illegal privatization of public higher ed in CA. IHE

Faculty union (AFT/AAUP) at U of Oregon file cards for recognition for tenure track, non-tenure track and research faculty. Oregon has card check so if the labor board finds a majority, they will be certified without an election and the University will be obligated to bargain. [Not clear what group of NTT are included, whether it is all, including part-timers or not]. IHE

CA Federation of Teachers compromises with Gov. Brown, pulls Millionaire's Tax petition 

CHICAGO
Fired Chicago State U student newspaper advisor ordered reinstated. IHE

New coalition forms to "Take back your school" at Columbia College, Chicago 

NEA Higher Ed conference participants in Chicago demonstrate in support of adjunct unions at East West U and Columbia College

Former Roosevelt U adjunct sues University and union over dismissal, and FoxNews take. 

ORGANIZING

Three great organizing videos, originally created as public service spots about riding the bus ~ humorously portraying the advantage of traveling in a group. Courtesy of Gary Gaines of the USWA retirees group SOAR in Granite City, IL

• Penguins, working together foil shark attack   
• Why do ants travel in a group? 
• Crabs fend off gull attack 

An unsurprising story -- National Review opposes adjunct unions 

EDUCATION ~ Higher, Continuing, PD

Proposed House bill would deregulate definition of credit hours and allow colleges to define them totally as they wish for purpose3s of student aid. [a real gift to the for profits and online programs]

 A great resource reappears, the Popular Education News. A free monthly e-mail newsletter about popular education and community organizing resources, also available on rss feed, is now published by Build the Wheel. The final issue of the original Popular Education News was published August 22, 2011. Back issues are archived on the website. Don't miss "What is Popular Education anyway?" Log-in required to access current files. 

Ed note: website transitioning is somewhat awkard but worth the effort to sort out.

Email joeberry@igc.org, to subscribe to regular updates in brief and links by email. More about Joe Berry.