Dear UA-UNM Colleagues,
What a great Spring General Membership Meeting we had last Thursday, with over 45 UA-UNM members showing up to build connections and community! Thanks to those who were able to make it. If you missed the meeting, here is the slide presentation and answers to your questions we shared at the meeting, and these are the critical things we went over:
- Treasurer Report – Stephanie Telles, our Treasurer, shared our union’s financial strategy, current budget, and what your union dues are paying for!
- Bargaining Update – Satya Witt, Lead Negotiator, provided updates on the critical wins in the newly ratified Unit 2 contract and what we can expect in the endgame for the Unit 1 contract. We are at a critical juncture in securing the contract we need and deserve.
- UA-UNM Constitution Update with Q&A – Keri Stevenson, Gallup VP, gave an overview of important changes our Executive Council is proposing.
- President’s Report – Ernesto Longa, our current president, spoke about collaboration with other higher education unions to increase higher ed funding from the state legislature.
- Academic Freedom Presentation – We heard from UA-UNM member Justin Bendell about the Academic Freedom working group’s efforts to strengthen protections for faculty, students, and staff and how you can get involved (see below).
Spring break is almost here! In honor of the break, we won’t be sending an email next week. Enjoy the time – whether you are contractually obligated to work or you spend the time catching up on work, we hope you also get time to rest and relax before we jump into the second half of the semester!
As always, make sure you’re a dues-paying member of UA-UNM, which you can do here! This is especially important now, so you can participate in the upcoming elections for Union leadership for the next 2 years! You’ll also have the opportunity to vote on proposed Constitutional Amendments beginning March 11. Keep an eye on your UNM e-mail for a ballot from OpaVote.
Keep reading below for a list of upcoming UA-UNM events.
In Solidarity,
United Academics of UNM
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, March 10, 12:00–1:00 pm – Academic Freedom Interest Group Meeting – all campuses on Zoom
Join us to help build the power we need to protect academic freedom at UNM.
https://unm.zoom.us/j/7956652445
Thursday, March 12, 9:00–10:00 am – Communications Committee Meeting – all campuses on Zoom
Join us to help share information with our members through weekly email updates, social media, our website, and union events.
Email info@uaunm.org for the Zoom link and password.
Friday, March 13, 12:00–12:45 pm – Organizing Committee – all campuses on Zoom
Help strengthen our union by encouraging more of your colleagues to get involved.
Email organizing@uaunm.org for the Zoom link and password.
Union Quote of the Week
“The central insight of intersectionality is that any liberation movement — feminism, anti-racism, the labor movement — that focuses only on what all members of the relevant group (women, people of color, the working class) have in common is a movement that will best serve those members of the group who are least oppressed.”
— Amia Srinivasan, philosopher and author
