COGS News
November 2005
How Active Membership Fixes the System
This semester, COGS has been busy fielding a number of contract violations in campus units across the University. Some of the issues that have emerged include: improper discipline and discharge of graduate employees; denial of access to personnel files; mistakes in the application of our mandatory minimum tuition scholarship; improper change in work rules and lack of sufficient training for TA/RAs.
These are just a few of the issues that have popped up on our radar as of late. I have yet to mention the growing numbers of international graduate employees angry at the fact that they now have to pay for pre-employment language proficiency examinations in addition to the recent increase in the International Student Fee.
By the way, did you know the University is planning on instituting mandatory registration for TA/RA positions offered during the summer? If this happens, we'll have to pay for the right to work in the summer months - even if the University offers no classes in our fields of study.
Looking at this relatively short list of injustices can give one the sense that the relationship between graduate employees and the University is rapidly falling off the tracks. But let's put these grievances into perspective. From the union's standpoint, this is a sign that: 1) more grad employees are becoming aware that they are covered by a contract and 2) these same grad employees are willing to stand up and do something to solve these problems, whether it's filing a grievance, helping coordinate a public action or encouraging their colleagues to support the union that protects the best interests of grad employees at the University of Iowa - COGS. These are both very good things! Best of all, this flurry of issues is bringing the union's work to the attention of more grad employees, who are in turn becoming members of the organization.
"The Members Run This Union" is a mantra that illustrates how essential an active membership is to COGS' success. Whether you've just become a member of have been paying dues for a bit, I encourage you to take another step and play a more active role in COGS. Show up at the next General Membership Meeting (Thursday, November 17 at 5:30pm in Old Brick) and find out what you can do. Many of the ways you can help the union require just a few hours a semester.
In the meantime, there are many issues that we need to tackle as a group and there are plenty of opportunities to rectify them. Get yourself informed on the important issues affecting grad employees across campus. And when you're done cussin' the University, get organized!
Patrick Oray, President
American Studies
Protecting Our Rights: Organize!
The strength we have depends on talking with non-members, going on house visits and having more members on the Organizing Committee
Organization is the thing which makes a graduate employee union feasible. Our union is only as strong as our membership base, and we face two major obstacles in simply maintaining our numbers, much less increasing them.
First, every year many of our members graduate, and we therefore must conduct a massive organizing drive each fall simply to replace those lost members. Second, Iowa is a Right to Work state, which means that everyone in our bargaining unit receives the benefits negotiated by COGS regardless of whether or not they pay dues.
We sympathize that there are those who do not join because they are opposed to unions, cannot afford to pay dues, or simply take our benefits for granted; however, the bottom line is that unless there is a strong foundation of dues-paying members, we are in danger of losing both our union and our contract. Think of it this way: the $17.12 we pay each month is a pittance in exchange for the health insurance, minimum salaries, guaranteed pay raises, tuition scholarships, and workplace protection we enjoy.
Despite these obstacles, organizing for the 2005-2006 year has had a wildly successful start. Since August 1, a large number of new members have joined COGS, and our presence is especially growing in traditionally under-represented departments. This is a great start, but we must do more.
We re-negotiate our contract every two years, and thanks to everyone's hard work last year, we made significant improvements to our benefits. But without a strong membership base, we stand to lose those things every other year. So what can you do to protect your benefits?
1. Talk. Talk to anyone and everyone about COGS. Carry membership cards with you. Most of our members have joined because someone they know was a member.
2. Go on House Visits and Office Visits. These are lots of fun and the best way to increase membership in under-represented departments. Meet new people and hear what it's like to work in other departmetns!
3. Join the Organizing Committee. We're always looking for new ideas to build membership, and we always need help staffing activities like petition drives, building lunches, and information booths.
We depend on the active participation of our members. COGS did not become a successful organization because a small group of people did a lot of work, but because hundreds of people have donated small amounts of their time. Please consider giving even one or two hours per month to COGS. To get involved with organizing, contact the COGS Office at cogs@cogs.org.
Heather Waddell Gruber, Vice President
Classics
