Elections are over. High
turnover like that seen in the position of Business Agent of Buffalo is
obviously not good (three business agents since late 2004). Still,
this seems preferable to the entrenched positions of the old timers in the
GSEU. Most of the officers who have served multiple terms have
managed to increase their incomes by roughly 100% while also ensuring an
increase in members’ dues. Our top officer, Kathleen Sims has not been a graduate student, let alone a graduate student employee, for many years. It is imperative that GSEU members run for
offices and oust the three longterm officers that plague the GSEU: Sims (current EVP) has been an officer since the early 1990s and has not been a TA/GA for many many years (more here).
Monazir Khan (current Binghamton BA) has been an officer since the
mid-90s and has not been a TA/GA for many years (more here). Chad Pearson (current BA
at large) since the late 90s and has not been a TA/GA for at least the past
two years (more here). One would think that this “experience” would
pay off in strong contract enforcement and saavy negotiating, but neither
is true of these three. GSEU has never seen a greater need to oust the incumbents.Admittedly, we screwed up; someone emailed us for help in getting Operators' signatures on the nominating petitions, but by the time we saw the message, elections were over (sorry).
What can you do?
• Run for office
and/or encourage and help others to run in 2008. You can run for Executive
Vice President of the Education Division (GSEU), Business Agent At Large,
Business Agent of your university center (Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo,
Stony Brook), chief steward of your area (Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo,
Colleges, Stony Brook), Delegate Assembly (attend the annual CWA convention
as a voting member), Secretary-treasurer, or even President of the local. Note, however, that to qualify to be a candidate for Executive Vice President, Secretary-treasurer, or President you must obtain 300 signatures of signed members, 100 from each division of the local (Education, Telecommunications, and Operator Services). Potential candidates should try to build relationships with members from these divisions now. Alliances and friendships with candidates and rank-and-file members from the other divisions will be essential to bringing about change in officers this time around.
• Vote. You need
to fill out the yellow membership form (Dues Authorization Card or DAC) to be a voting member of the union,
and you need to make sure that you send back your ballot well before the
deadline. The recent ratification vote turned out over 800 members. That is quite good, and we can do better.
• You don't have to sign
the nominating petitions of candidates you disagree with, and you can refuse to
sign the petitions of those associated with those you disagree with. This may bring about an incentive for candidates from other divisions to work with non-incumbent candidates for office in GSEU.
