This week is fall break!
Mid-terms are here for students, and the air is crisper. Before you head out and unplug, make sure to mark your calendar for the General Membership Meeting, which is happening the Tuesday after we return to campus. The GMM details and more are included in our newsletter.
We hope you have a relaxing fall break!
General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, October 13th, 5-7pm
If you only make it to one union meeting this semester, make it this one. During this fall’s UA-UNM General Membership Meeting will ask members for input on budget priorities, give an update on the new contracts, share information about the statewide 80/20 healthcare campaign, and provide opportunities for members to share their voice.
The GMM is both on Zoom and in person on the Albuquerque campus in George Pearl Hall, Room P101. There will be food and beverages, plus childcare provided. Register to let us know you’re coming, and if you need childcare, accommodations, or have dietary restrictions. Happy hour to follow from 7-8pm at Flock of Moons.
Supporting Student Safety on Campus
The “Red Zone” is typically thought of as the beginning period of a new school year (i.e., mid-August to November), where there is a link between the increased frequency of social gatherings and rates of campus sexual assault (CSA) (Kimble et al., 2008). Research has found that 50% of CSAs occur during the Red Zone, especially for students who are new to campus (Cranney, 2015; Kimble et al., 2008).
UNM’s Women’s Resource Center has a list of resources for CSA survivors and prevention. Please also refer to the American Association of University’s 2019 Campus Climate Survey for more information.
This AFL-CIO article outlines how unions are instrumental in preventing and addressing sexual harassment in work places. UNM employees are obligated to report discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct as outlined in the reporting requirements listed by the UNM Office of Compliance, Ethics, and Equal Opportunity.
Upcoming Events
Free Screening: Landmark Labor Film
Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m.
Screening of Harlan County, U.S.A (1976) at the Albuquerque Press Club. Director Barbara Kopple chronicles the struggles of coal miners in Kentucky during a bitter strike against a powerful mining company. Winner of the 1977 Oscar for Best Documentary. Free and open to the public. Location: 201 Highland Park Circle SE, Albuquerque.
AAUP Webinar: Strategy Playbook for Addressing AI at Work
Wednesday, October 7, 3 p.m. ET.
Spotlights tools and strategies for workers in higher education to democratize procurement practices around AI and other technologies. Speakers will address contracts between institutions and vendors, their implications for academic workers, and how to raise awareness, demand transparency, and change the culture surrounding technology policy decision-making. Register now.
AAUP Webinar: Intervening in Local Policy and Bargaining Around Technology.
Monday, October 12, 3 p.m. ET.
This session continues the AAUP’s focus on the new toolkit and highlights how to bargain for better shared governance around technology, drawing from recent wins for higher education, and how to develop community labor tables around technology issues. Register now.
AFT Street Medic Training
Saturday, Oct. 17 1-4pm
Learn essential emergency first aid for protests and direct actions. AFT is sponsoring Direct Action, Direct Care, a training that covers street medic skills, legal considerations, and triage. Earn a two-year certification Saturday, October 17, 1-4 pm, AFT NM Office. Register to attend.
Day-Long Workshop: Against the AI Campus: Building Power in Higher Ed
HELU and our partners in UIC United Faculty AFT Local 6456 are hosting a day-long deep dive into higher education, EdTech, and AI in Chicago. This workshop is aimed at understanding and producing contract language that protects workers; strategizing together to create a national organizing model against the technoligarchy; creating legislative frameworks locals can take to their state legislatures and Congress; and deepening workers’ understanding of the issue. If you are interested in going and would like financial support to attend, reach out to info@uaunm.org to learn more.
Help elect pro-union pro-education candidates
The Election is 29 days away.
We are in partnership with the Unified COPE Get Out the Vote effort which needs volunteers. Join forces with union members and leaders in Albuquerque and around the state to elect pro-worker candidates on the federal and state legislative levels with Labor 2026. All hands on deck are needed for Labor 2026 phoning and canvassing! Shifts available every week until the election. And it pays $17/hour!
Where: AFT New Mexico Offices 530 Jefferson Street NE
Phone Banking Hours: Monday – Thursday 4- 8 pm (2 or 4hr shifts)
Canvassing Hours: Monday – Thursday 4-8pm, Saturday 10am-2pm (2 or 4hr shifts)
Contact: John Wallace (sign-up and info) Phone: 505-263-9120, Email: john@atfunion.org
In Solidarity,
United Academics of UNM
Recurring Meetings and More Events!
Thursday, October 8th, 9:00-10:00am – 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.
Thursday, October 8th, 3:30-5:00pm – Organizing Committee Meeting – all campuses on Zoom
Help build our membership and train new leaders through organizing events and workshops
Email organizing@uaunm.org for the Zoom link and password.
General Membership Meeting, Tuesday, October 13, 5-7pm
George Pearl Hall, Room P101 on the Albuquerque campus and on Zoom. Register to attend.
Friday, November 13th 5-7pm, Coffee Social Hour
Mark your calendars for a UA-UNM Friday the 13th social hour at Little Bear Coffee in Nob Hill. Additional details to follow.
Wednesday, December 9th 4-6pm, Amalie Coffee
Mark your calendars for a UA-UNM finals week coffee social hour at Amalie Coffee across from main campus. Additional details to follow.
Union Quote of the Week:
“One person can only make so much noise, and as loud as that person can be, it’s easy for a university to ignore them. But a collective voice… well, that’s much harder to ignore.”
– Gayatri Phadke, a research assistant and PhD candidate in chemistry at the University of Connecticut, where she is an active member of its certified graduate employee union (GEU-UAW). (Ms. Magazine, 6/21/2017)
