COCAL is the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, a nearly 20 year old network of contingent activists and their organizations that does a conference (now tri-national – USA, CAN (including QBC) , and MEX) every other year, usually in August. It also sponsors a listserv, called ADJ-L, and has an International Advisory Committee and a website www.cocalinternational.org and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/COCALInternational>.
These updates are compiled and distributed weekly by Joe Berry and are reprinted here with his permission. These are the updates from June 11, 2016.
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Editor’s NOTE:
Please join me in mourning the death of one of my heroes, boxing world champion Muhammed Ali, at 74 of Parkinson’s. Though “adopted” by the mainstream establishment in recent years, for many people he always represented the ultimate personal courage, self sacrifice, generosity, resistance, and militancy in his refusal to fight in Viet Nam and his support for all struggles against the oppression of Black people. Please see the writing of Davie Ziron for some of the best commentary on Ali, including his book, “What’s My Name, Fool?”.
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/7/21/whats_my_name_fool_sports_
and http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-zirin-muhammad-ali-legacy-20160603-snap-story.html
and http://www.democracynow.org/2007/4/9/sports_columnist_dave_zirin_on_muhammad
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Coalition of Contingent Academic Labour (COCAL)
Early Bird Deadline Extended to June 15!
Join the Movement for Improved Working Conditions for Contingent Academic Workers
Our Goal for COCAL XII is for delegates to leave with concrete actions and strategies they can take back to their unions and associations. COCAL conferences build solidarity among contingent academics who are advocating for improved work conditions and a better future for higher education.
For all details see:
http://us11.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7f282aa335e6f2089aa4c6b74&id=4681332283&e=[UNIQID]
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Travel Notes
Just fyi, if you’re considering COCAL in Edmonton, the Cdn dollar has not been this low in terms of the Am dollar in a decade. One Am dollar should get you about $1.40 Cdn, so $100 Cdn is about $70 Am. Frank (Cosco, Vancouver CCFA)
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COCAL is the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, a nearly 20 year old network of contingent activists and their organizations that does a conference (now tri-national–USA, CAN (including QBC) , and MEX) every other year, usually in August. It also sponsors a listserv, called ADJ-L, and has an International Advisory Committee and a website www.cocalinternational.org and Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/COCALInternational>. See below at bottom for details on the listserv.
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CCSF STRUGGLE NEWS
1. Fact-finding report back
http://www.aft2121.org/2016/06/fact-finding-report-back-solidarity-summer/
3. National accreditor freezes membership
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/06/06/controversial-accreditor-freezes-membership?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=1a507046c7-DNU20160606&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-1a507046c7-197454541
4. CFT files amended lawsuit against ACCJC
https://academeblog.org/2016/05/20/cft-files-amended-lawsuit-against-accjc/
5. Bernie Sanders at Mission Center, CCSF
Sanders In The Mission: People Speak Out About Their Lives & Struggles
https://youtu.be/TzJTgsyUTIQ
Hundreds of people attended a meeting at City College Of San Francisco on June 6, 2016 where Bernie Sanders spoke. Many participants talked about the problem of privatization of education, housing and the struggle for survival in San Francisco with massive gentrification. San Francisco City College faces attacks on the faculty and staff and sell-off of campuses. AFT 2121 is without a contract.
Additional media:
https://youtu.be/EAWJQqNz5fs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ne8-_J6Vlc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeAIKTfKEOA
Labor Video Project
www.laborvideo.org
and also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9BC3uhqZPA
6. AFT 2121 presentations to first session with fact-finders
http://www.aft2121.org/2016/06/detailed-aft-2121-fact-finding-documents/
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INTERNATIONAL
1. U of Essex hikes female faculty pay to achieve equity. No mention of whether this includes contingents.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/university-of-essex-hikes-salaries-for-female-professors-to-eliminate-pay-gap
2. University staff to be held hostage to “student as consumer”
http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2016/jun/01/university-staff-will-be-held-to-ransom-by-student-consumers?CMP=share_btn_fb
3. CNTE teachers march in Mexico City
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/multimedia/Tens-of-Thousands-of-Teachers-Hold-Mega-March-in-Mexico-City-20160527-0031.html
4. Strikes protesting new labor code continue in France
https://leftlaborreporter.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/strikes-opposing-new-labor-code-continue-in-france/
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UPDATES IN BRIEF AND LINKS
1. Austerity at CUNY hits the NYT front page
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/06/cuny-city-college-higher-education-new-york-cuomo-open-admissions/
2. NLRB curbs justification for hiring replacement workers in strikes (a win for us).
http://portside.org/2016-06-04/nlrb-curbs-justification-permanent-replacements
3. Ithaca FTNTT faculty join union (SEIU 200) with part-timers
4. TA’s speak out against proposed job cuts at U of WA
http://www.thestand.org/2016/06/tas-speak-out-sit-in-against-uw-job-cuts/
5. The hidden costs of adjuncting: staying alive and getting to work, by our colleague Lee Kottner
http://facultyforwardnetwork.org/the-hidden-costs-of-adjuncting-staying-alive-and-getting-to-work/
6. Info on unemployment insurance
http://facultyforwardnetwork.org/unemployment-insurance-survey-and-resource/
7. Low wage and contingent workers (including profs) converge on Chicago
https://vr2.verticalresponse.com/emails/17592186092626?contact_id=17592190138848&sk=aIo8B2JgQjBKCHD9VAO8F5Nnr4RRNijYBZCfH1Im5AIA=/aHR0cHM6Ly92cjIudmVydGljYWxyZXNwb25zZS5jb20vZW1haWxzLzE3NTkyMTg2MDkyNjI2P2NvbnRhY3RfaWQ9MTc1OTIxOTAxMzg4NDg=/6cSfcp3wU3oA5rBaO6Qzyg==
8. Academe’s “gay tax” and its relation to contingency
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2016/06/03/price-lgbtq-academics-pay-safety-and-well-being-essay
10. Great new T-shirt, “Keep calm and let the adjuncts handle it” (the revolution?)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/306244843393578132/
11. More on strike at Green River College, WA (Can we get a report from a contingent there, like Jack Longmate perhaps?)
http://www.themilitant.com/2016/8022/802254.html
12. A very good article on our lengthening work day and week with special relevance to us, I think.
http://portside.org/2016-06-06/radical-leisure
13. U Mass, Lowell adjuncts (NEA) seek equal pay with other campuses
http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_29982819/umass-lowell-adjunct-professors-seek-equal-pay-other#ixzz4AoHr1JWI
14. Latest edition of Inequality.org
http://www.inequality.org/thisweek.html
15. Contingent port drivers on strike in LA
https://www.facebook.com/Justice4PortDrivers/photos/a.173092929526641.1073741828.173020596200541/650432731792656/?type=3&theater
16. McDaniel adjuncts vote 3-1 for SEIU 500
238 adjunct professors voted almost 3-1 to join SEIU local 500…thank you for the outstanding work put in by the McDaniel organizing committee and the Local 500/IU organizing team.
and http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/7/mcdaniel-colleges-adjunct-professor-vote-to-form-u/
17. Call for papers for special issue of Radical Teacher on critical univiersity studies. edited by our colleague Bob Samuels of U of CA.
18. Adjuncts earn less than pet-sitters
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/22/adjunct-professor-earn-less-than-pet-sitter
19. Adjuncts are unionizing, but that won’t fix problems of higher ed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/06/06/adjuncts-are-unionizing-but-that-wont-fix-whats-wrong-in-higher-education/
20. IL college faculty say cuts have ripped guts out of public higher ed
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/19171/western-illinois-john-logan-colleges-austerity-higher-education-illinois
21. Profile of leader of NY taxi workers (all contingent)
http://portside.org/2016-06-07/free-spirited-journey-taxi-union-organizer
22. Defunct for-profit college admits to defrauding students
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/06/07/defunct-profit-admits-defrauding-students?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=0560bc96f0-DNU20160607&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-0560bc96f0-197454541
23. For-profit college assoc. changes its name, again
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/06/07/profit-college-association-changes-name?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=0560bc96f0-DNU20160607&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-0560bc96f0-197454541
24. Pennsylvania’s state universities (NOT Penn State) may face first strike in history by faculty
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160607_Semester_break___Pennsylvania_s_state_universities_could_face_faculty_strike_during_fall_session.html#wKr6mKeJiTjFMQSU.99
25. Two good and interesting articles on precariousness and the future and past of the US labor movement by Charlie Post of CUNY.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/04/precarious-labor-strategies-union-precariat-standing/
and https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/06/american-unions-labor-aronowitz/
26. Organizing coordinator job for SEIU in Miami (where they are doing adjunct organizing)
https://www.unionjobs.com/listing.php?id=8718
27. Precaricorps to partcipate in art-making and contingency exhibit at U of IL, Chicago. See below for details.
28. Judge’s ruling gives UTLA organizers access to charter school teachers (This could have significance to our organizing in private higher ed, especially in the for-profits.)
http://www.laborradio.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_subarticle.cfm&subHomeID=91839&topHomeID=580751&page=Daily20Newscasts&link_id=6&can_id=587b791e1946e2adaf17ca20e5e3d480&source=email-flight-attendants-to-picket-united-shareholders-meeting-judges-ruling-gives-utla-organizers-access-to-alliance-charter-school-teachers-nlrb-merit-in-labor-law-violation-charges-against-wework-epis-daniel-costa-says-h-2b-program-exploits-workers-sup&email_referrer=flight-attendants-to-picket-united-shareholders-meeting-judges-ruling-gives-utla-organizers-access-to-alliance-charter-school-teachers-nlrb-merit-in-labor-law-violation-charges-against-wework-epis-daniel-costa-says-h-2b-program-exploits-workers-sup&email_subject=flight-attendants-to-picket-united-shareholders-meeting-judges-ruling-gives-utla-organizers-access-to-alliance-charter-school-teachers-nlrb-merit-in-labor-law-violation-charges-against-wework-epis-daniel-costa-says-h-2b-program-exploits-workers-sup
29. Academic apartheid in higher education
http://gawker.com/academic-apartheid-in-higher-education-1781357648
30. Boston U adjuncts’ unionization has sparked efforts by other groups on campus
http://dailyfreepress.com/2016/06/07/campus-news-101-what-is-going-on-at-bu/
31. US working class (defined, and very poorly, as people without a college degree) will be majority people of color soon
http://www.epi.org/publication/the-changing-demographics-of-americas-working-class/
32. Northwestern U faculty file for union election (Evanston, IL)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.479785578720529.114808.465928170106270&type=3
33. U of Chicago student body president disciplined just before graduation for demonstration partly in support of campus workers (for $15/hr.) and for letting campus workers into student meeting
https://academeblog.org/2016/06/09/theory-and-practice-at-the-university-of-chicago/
Reblogged this on Ohio Higher Ed.