What's New (Site Contents below)

Photos from the strike!

Undergrads turned out in force for GESO's weeklong strike, joining their teachers at the rallies, on the picket lines, and on the bus to New York. We stood with our teachers for the those five days, and we will continue to do so until Yale recognizes their union. Photos from the strike are here.

STRIKE!
TAs have voted overwhelmingly to strike from Apr. 18th to Apr. 22nd. Read more about the strike and the issues in Community in Crisis, vol. 3: The GESO Strike, available in printed form from UOC members and online here. To get involved, email one of the student picket captains:

Mon. – Rebecca Livengood
Tues. – Josh Eidelson
Wed. – Thomas Frampton (rally in New York at Columbia!)
Thurs. – Helena Herring
Fri. – Marissa Levendis or Phoebe Rounds

Note the changed meeting date next week – Tues. Apr. 19th, not Wed.

Leading up to the strike, there is a lot that you, as an undergrad, can do to support your teachers in their struggle for union recognition. Some suggestions:
-Show your support by wearing one of the new, hot "GESO, we're with you" buttons (available in Dwight Hall) – very easy!
-Talk to your TAs about why you would respect their and their colleagues' decision to strike.
- Talk to your professors about why you would respect your TAs' decision to strike. Tell your professors that you expect them not to scab for your striking TAs.
- Talk to your friends, suitemates and classmates about why you support the union.
- Get ready to join your TAs on the picket lines!

GESO re-releases majority membership
On Apr. 6th, GESO re-released a petition signed by more than 60 percent of Central Campus TAs asking Yale to recognize the union. GESO set a strike vote for Apr. 13th, barring any response from Yale before that time. On the evening of Apr. 6th, around 60 undergrads joined GESO Chair Mary Reynolds, GESO organizer David Huyssen, Prof. Michael Denning, and UOC member Gloria Alday '07 for a teach-in about GESO and the possible upcoming strike.

The UOC stands in solidarity with GESO, calling on Yale to recognize the University's union of graduate teachers. It's an exciting time to get involved; please contact us! To learn more about GESO, go here.

Help support the campaign for financial aid reform at Yale!
Click here to buy a button or make a donation toward the $92 court fines faced by the 15 undergrads who sat in the Admissions Office on Feb. 24th.

Show your support with a suggested $5 donation

Students win substantial reform – and will keep fighting
On Mar. 3rd, Yale announced substantial financial aid reform. This reform includes the elimination of the parent contribution for students whose family income is less than $45,000 and the reduction of the parent contribution for students whose family income is between $45,000 and $60,000. It also includes one trip home each year for international students (currently, Yale provides one trip over four years) and increased recruiting in low-income areas. The reform came exactly a week after 15 students sat in at the Admissions Office for nine hours, eventually taking arrest, while hundreds more rallied outside. This followed five months of intensive student organizing around financial aid.

UOC members are excited about the proposed reforms, which correspond to three items on our platform. However, the reform to the parent contribution does not address students' demand that self-help, as well, be changed. While we are heartened by the moves Yale made toward increasing economic diversity on campus and supporting all students, we will continue to fight for equality of experience and transparency.

Read the UOC's press release regarding Yale's announcement.

New: photos from inside and outside the Admissions Office.

On Feb. 24th, 15 undergraduates sat in at the Yale Admissions Office demanding financial aid reform from President Levin, taking arrest when Levin still had not met with them and agreed to reforms by the time the building closed. Check out up-to-the-minute details of the financial aid sit-in over at the financial aid blog and read more about the financial aid campaign.

In Other News...

On Mar. 1st, GESO released The (Un)Changing Face of the Ivy League. This report tells of a crisis of faculty diversity at Yale and other Ivy League schools. Virtually no progress toward increasing the number of women and people of color in permanent positions has been made in the past ten years. Earlier this semester, UOC members joined GESO members at Provost Hamilton's office and President Levin's office, asking our administrators to make public commitments to diversifying Yale's faculty. Also, UOC members are actively supporting a bill in the Connecticut Legislature that would require private colleges to release statistics about faculty diversity to prospective students.

more on faculty diversity
The (Un)Changing Face of the Ivy League

The fight for investor responsibility continues. This winter, it came to light that Yale is the largest stakeholder in a potentially disastrous sour gas-drilling project in Calgary, Alberta. Yale students are joining with the citizens of Calgary in asking our University to force Compton, the corporation planning the drilling project, to negotiate an acceptable safety plan with the community. Learn more and sign the petition to Chief Investment Officer David Swensen.

For older news, go here.

Site Contents

About the UOC – A brief description of the group, what we do, and how we go about it.
History – A short summary of the story so far, focusing on how and why the Yale campus has arrived at this point of crisis.
The Strike – Information for students on last fall's strike of 4,000 Yale workers.
Yale 101 – Some basic background on work and town-gown relations at Yale. Also includes discussion of the UOC’s work in related issues outside the labor conflict.
Press and Documents – Includes photos, press clippings, and editorials; and reports and publications by the UOC and other organizations.
Links
Contact

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