The meeting started with welcoming new members, reviewing the Labor Management process, (meets twice per semester, IDs trends and problems, the planning committee meets to finalize LM agenda and shares agenda with management) acknowledging Black History Month, and members sharing questions and concerns. Here are some things that came up.

• Presentation: The co-chair of the Brooklyn College PSC chapter, Joseph Entin, presented on the campaign goals and strategies that led to 3 of the 4 Brooklyn College adjuncts being rehired by the CUNY and talked about the ongoing campaign to get the Fired Fourth rehired. To support the campaign, act here. PSC SLU members were encouraged to:
  • Write a Letter of Support as a PSC chapter calling for the Fired Fourth to be rehired.
  • Pass a resolution as PSC chapter calling for the Fired Fourth to be rehired.
  • Mobilize SLU students to support the Fired Fourth campaign.
• Report back: Immigration Solidarity Working Group: Members were encouraged to join the SLU ISWG by emailing Samina at [email protected] and to join the PSC CUNY Immigration Solidarity Working  Group by signing up here. Additional information on the campaign to get CUNY to fund immigrant support centers is also available here.
• Small Group Discussion-Fighting authoritarianism in the workplace and beyond: In small groups, members described and discussed examples of authoritarianism including lack of transparency in decision-making, implementation of policies and protocols, and inherent in hierarchical structures where leadership is experienced as bureaucratic, authoritative, and punitive. Issues that were brought up included the danger of embracing the appearance of political neutrality, lack of acknowledgement of the passing of Jesse Jeackson, building with students, and creating spaces and events we want to have as the PSC at SLU.
• Ongoing workplace issue: Office spaces for adjuncts remain an ongoing issue.
• New Issue: Organizational Restructuring at SLU. Members raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the restructuring process and saw this as an opportunity to organize and strategize; questions included:
  • How will the proposed organizational restructuring impact us all.
  • How will the new “Navigator” title impact existing roles?
  • What will it mean for current job titles and duties?
• New Issue: Zoom and AI settings: New Zoom AI settings are locked in the ON position. AI is automatically summarizing Zoom sessions. This raises confidentiality concerns and possible FERPA violations.

We discussed the next Labor Management meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, March 3 at 12:00 PM on zoom. All PSC members at SLU are encouraged to participate in the planning meeting on Friday, February 27 at 1 pm, and to attend the LM meeting itself. It’s our opportunity to bring our issues to management. There are several outstanding items from the last meeting. For example, coworkers expected to lift heavy things at commencement, reclassification statistics, and staff job descriptions.

Announcements:

• SLU LM meetings:
  • March 3, 12-2pm.
  • April 22, 2-4pm