[Peace] Fw: [Campuslabor] SEIU picket invitation, Tuesday Jan. 25

[Ricky Baldwin]

From: Ricky Baldwin <rbaldwin at seiu73.org>
Subject: [Campuslabor] SEIU picket invitation, Tuesday Jan. 25
To: "campuslabor at lists.uigeo.org" <campuslabor at lists.uigeo.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 5:41 PM

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS:

SEIU Local 73 would like to invite you to a nice, cool picket line next Wed. January 25 at the ARC (Activities and Recreation Center) on Peabody.
(Same as last time.)
SEIU will be there starting at approx. 7:30AM.  Come anytime BEFORE 9AM.  8AM seems particularly good for the media.

At issue is the UI's continued near-complete refusal to bargain in good faith and the accelerating conversion of a land-grant university into a corporate welfare engine and, if the trend continues, a finishing school for wealthy students to the exclusion of most of the state.

SEIU has been attempting to bargain at UIUC since March.  Both our contracts at UIUC -- Building Service and Food Service -- expired in July.  Yet in that time we have  faced (1) several unilateral changes not bargained with the union, (2) repeated delays and cancellation of scheduled meetings, (3) regressive proposals (freeze one minute, cut the next),  (4) rejection of union proposals with no counter proposals or serious discussion, (5) refusal to meet with a federal mediator, (6) Management walk-outs during negotiations, and now (7) contracting out our jobs!

UI negotiators have told us repeatedly that the new President will not authorize raises for anyone this year.  Yet others have received raises, including 3000 SEIU members who threatened to strike at UIC.  UI negotiators also refer to Pres. Hogan's own $170,000 increase as an "alleged raise."

Often in difficult economic times, unions can expect to spend more time making non-monetary improvements: "language."  Yet UI has rejected all substantive SEIU proposals, including those that would cost the UI exactly $0.  In fact, UI has proposed taking away important seniority rights and work rules in addition to cutting new-hire salaries by over 13%.

With your help and our members' picketing and samizdat propagandizing, we have been able to push the UI off its worst proposals ... to offer us ZERO.  When our members overwhelmingly rejected this proposal, UI responded by canceling all scheduled meetings, changing their chief negotiator, and storming out.  Since then UI has been refusing to meet with a mediator, and after reluctantly scheduling more negotiations, has begun canceling those, too!

Last night/ this morning at 1AM, brothers and sisters, I took the attached pictures of a private contractor called Kleen Rite doing our work in the Mechanical Engineering Building.  This is a clear and obnoxious violation.

We have seen the success of GEO last year in their beautiful strike.  We have seen the success of SEIU at UIC, preparing to strike.  And we know well the importance of solidarity in all these endeavors.  Your support to this point has been encouraging and emboldening.  We appreciate it very much!

We intend to take a strike authorization vote January 27.  We expect a good turnout and a strong 'YES' vote.  But in the meantime we are meet to negotiate and picket on Jan. 25.  You are all invited.  Dress warm.

Call 217-328-7509 for more info.  Thanks.

In Solidarity,
Ricky



Ricky Baldwin
Sr. Field Organizer
SEIU, Local 73

217-328-7509






      
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