Replies

• • Adam Snider@admas

  

  Adam Snider August 1, 2012 - 12:03pm

  Hi Steve,

   

  Just a bit of clarification regarding governance processes at AUGSA Council meetings. All graduate students are welcome to attend council meetings, but only elected representatives have speaking priviledges during the meetings. Students may request to present to council in advance and, depending on the rationale given, may be granted permission to do by the AUGSA Executive. However, council meetings are not the place to address concerns to council. Council meetings, or the Board of the AUGSA, are held to govern the AUGSA.

   

  If there are concerns regarding the collective bargaining process -- or any other matter -- it is best to address these concerns to the AUGSA Executive (contact information below). I know the AUGSA Executive is always eager to hear from students at large in order to ensure that they are representing their interests as faithfully as possible.

   

  While the AUGSA has consulted students in a more robust manner than any other GSA in Alberta, via a survey that was distrubted via email and social media, and here on the Landing, we understand that there are some students who may not have expressed their full concerns at that time and the Executive Committee welcomes their feedback.

   

  To contact the AUGSA Executive, please send an email to the Executive members:

  • President - Amanda Nielsen - president@augsa.com, Phone: (780) 920-5001
    
  • VP External - Lisa Barrett - vpexternal@augsa.com
  • VP Academic - Olivia Meyia - vpacademic@augsa.com
  • VP Operations & Finance - Wilson Ho - vpof@augsa.com

   

  The Executive would be delighted to arrange a meeting time with students at large to discuss their concerns via GoToMeeting or Skype, or receive their input via email.

   

  I hope this clarifies the governance processes for the AUGSA. If folks have feedback, please get in touch with the Executive. I know they would be happy to hear from you.

   

  Adam Snider
  Operations Coordinator, AUGSA

• • Steven Harris@stevenha21

  

  Steven Harris August 1, 2012 - 1:30pm

  Thank you for your clarification of the process Adam, and I certainly agree that anyone interested in the collective bargaining process should absolutely contact the Executive Members to make their positions known (as they are basically the Negotiating Committee as well). 

  And while I agree that the AUGSA Negotiating Committee has made some effort to try and collect input from existing RAs and TAs, based on the publicly ciculated results only 12 current RAs or TAs started the survey, and only 5 fully completed it.  Perhaps not many are on the maillist, or subscribe to AUGSA social media channels.  In any case I've certainly had more than 5 interested parties contact me about how they get involved in this process, and I would wager most current RAs and TAs have absolutely no clue their current jobs will very likely be dramatically affected by this process.

  In any case, as Council does have the final vote on whether or not any Agreement is ultimately ratified, I still believe that interested parties should also contact their Council Representative to make sure they are aware of their feelings as well.

  Thanks,

  Steve Harris

  AUGSA Faculty of Science and Technology Representative

• • Diane Meyia Mengue@dianeme6

  

  Diane Meyia Mengue August 1, 2012 - 2:44pm

  Hi Everyone,

  I  will most likely be delighted to receive your feedback, and ensure that your voice is heard during the bargaining process.

   

  Thanks,

  Olivia Meyia

  VP Academic

• • sarah beth@sarahma108

  

  sarah beth August 1, 2012 - 6:07pm

  I wonder if it might be helpful to just get people together (virtually, anyway, via GoToMeeting) to talk synchronously about what our organizing and negotiating options are.

  On one hand, AUGSA has been great about going above and beyond other GSAs in consultation, but on the other hand, it sounds like other GSAs' processes aren't suited to our particular strengths as a student body, and it feels like there is a big gap in our communications when we're always talking to AUGSA one-on-one and not to each other directly. 

  That kind of isolation makes it hard to know what's going on and to feel secure about our strength as a union, the security of our jobs, etc., which is maybe a part of what folks are expressing here. Ie., maybe if we adjust the process we'll all feel more secure about AUGSA's initiative to get us a collective agreement. 

• • Amanda Nielsen@amandani9

  

  Amanda Nielsen August 3, 2012 - 1:12am

  Hi all,

  We're happy to host an online meeting if folks would like to get together and share their concerns 'real-time' in a discussion format. We have access to a software called GoToMeeting.com - it works on PCs, Macs, and iPads, and you can access the audio via computer mic/speakers or regular teleconference.

  In terms of time, how does next Saturday morning (Saturday, August 11th) at say 10am MDT work? 

  Best,

  Amanda

• • Diane Meyia Mengue@dianeme6

  

  Diane Meyia Mengue August 3, 2012 - 10:29pm

  Hi All,

  We invite you to attend this future schedule meeting as it will be the best time and place to share your concerns inregards to the collective bargaining agreement, and the negotiation process.

  Thanks,

  Olivia Meyia

  VP Academic

• • sarah beth@sarahma108

  

  sarah beth August 4, 2012 - 10:31am

  To make sure folks know about this, could AUGSA put the usual announcements through email and social media, as well as asking AUFA to circulate it to people who hire RAs and TAs? Since there doesn't seem to be a master list of grad student workers, then maybe the next best thing is to make sure it reaches everyone who employs an RA or TA and can pass it on. 

  Could we have the option of looking at an information package a day or two in advance, so we are all up to speed, prepared for a productive discussion? A draft agenda would also be helpful, so folks can think about what they might want to add to it. (I'm happy to help with any prep work, if having an extra pair of hands would make it more manageable, or I am happy to just receive information when the time comes. Whatever works.)

• • Amanda Nielsen@amandani9

  

  Amanda Nielsen August 4, 2012 - 12:37pm

  Good afternoon all,

  I'm actually going to suggest we move this meeting to Saturday, August 18th at 10am MDT to give folks more notice.

  In terms of agenda, I see this as more an informal 'coffee' type discussion where folks can come and share their ideas, concerns, and hopes 'real-time' with members of the AUGSA Executive. It might be helpful for folks to review the Collective Agreements of the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge prior to dialing in, as well as the results of our initial survey. We'll be sure to suggest this to students in our invitations. There really isn't a great a great deal else to include in an information package.

  We can communicate this meeting to students beginning on August 7th through the Landing (the Wire and this group), Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, our website, and an email to the AUFA Executive asking that they pass it on to their members, who may employ graduate students.

  In any case, should be a good conversation. I'll work with our staff more on this on Tuesday.

  In the meantime...hope everyone has a lovely long weekend!

  Amanda :)

• • Adam Snider@admas

  

  Adam Snider August 13, 2012 - 10:00am

  Hello AU graduate students,

   

  Full information on the coffee chat session that Amanda mentioned in her last post has been posted to the AUGSA website. You can read the information and register for the webinar we'll be using to host the session here: http://www.augsa.com/index.php/news/1-articles/373-qcoffee-chatq-session-regarding-collective-bargaining.html.

   

  Cheers,

   

  Adam Snider
  AUGSA Operations Coordinator

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