News

March 23, 2012 Membership Meeting (Pittsburgh)

Ground Rules

• Electronic devices silent
• Go to microphone if you want to speak
• Listen and debate with respect
• Step up/step back
• Time limits: 5 minutes for reports and 1 minute to comment

Secretary’s Report

• Minutes from 2012 distributed.
• Motion to approve 2012 minutes made, seconded, and approved.

Treasurer’s Report

• Treasurer Dawn Addy presented UALE financial report, including projected budget for 2013.
• Motion to adopt budget report made, seconded, and approved.

President’s Report

• Website rebuild – Cheryl Teare reported on the redesign and launch of the new UALE website.
• Research grants – Bob Bussell reported on the allocation of money for research grants. Application and review process are currently being developed.
• Conference 2013 – D’Arcy Martin reported on plans for the 2013 conference in Toronto. Volunteers for planning committee: Tony Michael, D’Arcy Martin, Deb Rosenstein, Judy Ancel, Bill Shields, Helen Moss, Ruth Needleman, Deb Kidney, Manny Ness, Verlene Jones.
• Conference 2014 – Dawn Addy reported initial planning work for Conference 2014, which will be held in the Western United States. Nonbinding preference poll taken of Oakland v. Las Vegas for possible location – result Oakland 48, Las Vegas 14.
• Awards Guidelines Committee – Elissa McBride discussed awards ceremony to be held Saturday, March 24. Asked for volunteers for an Awards Guidelines Committee; Rae Sovereign, Tony Michael, Mike Fedor, Lynda DeLoach volunteered.

Working Groups

• CLC/State Feds Working Group - Monica Bielski Boris reported. Would like to do project that explores relationships between CLC’s/State Feds and university-based labor education programs.
• K-12 Labor Education Working Group - Annetta Argyres reported. Name change to Labor Education and K-12 Education and Job Training Working Group. Co-chairs now Argyres and Helena Worthen. Two tasks over next year: session in Toronto that engages local public school teachers, and continue work with NEA & AFT to promote labor education in schools.
• Immigration & Globalization Working Group – Judy Ancel reported.   Co-chairs now Judy Ancel and Helen Moss. Many curriculum materials on web page.
  
  “Immigration-Globalization WG Resolution” (empaneling a committee) moved, seconded, and carried.   Volunteering to be on the committee created by the resolution were Bill Shields, Emily Twarog, Irene Queiro-Tajalli, Judy Ancel, Robin-Clark Bennett.
• Worker Writers Group – Tim Sheard reported. Would like to recruit mentors for worker-writers, place some curricula for teaching writing on the web site, and create a how-to manual for creating writers’ circle in the workplace and publishing work. Co-chairs now Tim Sheard and Karen Ford.
• Online Working Group – Debra Kidney reported.   Want to create discussion threads on UALE website re. how to teach online, how we interface labor education online, and working conditions of online teachers.
• Popular Education Working Group – Steve Schnapp reported. Co-chairs remain Schnapp, Tess Ewing, and Don Taylor. Will continue to recruit demonstration workshops for the annual conference. Continuing to explore searchable online database of popular education curricula. Possibility of regional meetings, international meetings, popular theater, webinars on popular education, and soliciting funds for these ideas. Announced discussion of 99% Spring scheduled for Saturday morning.

People of Color Caucus

• Elise Bryant reported. Co-chairs are Cheryl Teare and Marlan Maralit. Want to explore how unions & academic labor educators can emphasize people of color and new workers. Want to create train the trainer program and network of people of color in labor education.

Women’s Committee

• Monica Bielski Boris reported. New co-chairs are Gail Hamilton and Kate Shaughnessy. Discussed most recent and upcoming women’s summer schools. Discussed the attack on women and reproductive rights. “Womens Committee Resolution” moved, seconded, and approved.

Labor Studies Journal Editorial Board

• Bob Bruno and Michelle Kaminski reported. Not getting enough submissions, and those received are not from members (except conference issue). Have been approached by Cambridge University Press about publishing proceedings/papers. Seeking input from members on this idea. Issue with SAGE: we are the only journal they have which insists on a union printer. Seeking to resolve.

New Business

• Nick Unger suggested exploring associate membership or something similar to reach out to our non-labor studies academic colleagues.
• Joe Berry moved: “That the UALE business meeting has, as a sense of the body, that we affiliate with USLAW and pass on to the executive board to act upon that when it becomes financially feasible to pay appropriate affiliation fees.” Seconded and approved.
• Bill Shields reported on western region meeting. 43 attended. Discussion of curriculum sharing, and did a popular education wealth inequality exercise demonstration. Hope to hold fall meeting.
• Elise Bryant urges integrating local cultural presentations in future conferences.

Announcements

• Dan Katz, New Dean of Labor Studies at the National Labor College – report on status of NLC.

Elections

• President - Elissa McBride nominated and elected by acclamation.
• VP/University – Tony Michael nominated and elected by acclamation.
• VP/Unions – Cheryl Teare nominated and elected by acclamation.
• Treasurer – Dawn Addy nominated and elected by acclamation.
• Secretary – Mike Wisniewski and Kitty Conlan nominated. Conlan elected by secret ballot.
• University representative – Bob Bussell nominated and elected by acclamation.
• Community organization representative – Steve Schnapp nominated and elected by acclamation.
• Union representative – Guillermo Perez nominated and elected by acclamation.
• At large (3 positions): D’Arcy Martin, Bill Shields, Darryl! Moch, Marc Bayard, Kent Wong nominated. Elected by secret ballot: D’Arcy Martin, Darryl! Moch, and Kent Wong
• Regional representatives:

Eastern – Elise Bryant

Southern – Ashley Dwire

Midwest – Don Taylor

Western – Verlene Jones

Meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM

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