"#Labor struggles are not only about objective facts—they’re also emotive & embodied challenges. By engaging w/ the heart, we remind the brain of other reasons why striking is important. It’s one thing to “know” that strikes can deliver improved working conditions + greater workplace #power, but equally important to witness the transformative power when fellow #workers come to terms with those truths via each others’ energy and passion."

#CalState #union #CalFac #strike

https://rant.li/csurad/while-the-brain-remains-king-the-heart-knows-best

"Collective bargaining occurs on the terrain of law, and employers have the advantage. Bargaining is important and crucial, but it can be overly polite. #Workers end-up having to bite their tongues or grit their teeth. We’re forced to compromise on things that shouldn’t be compromised. Our #solidarity muscles weaken we’re not using them together. Solidarity means we can fight and that we are stronger in that fight together."

#CalFac #Union #Strike #CalState

https://rant.li/csurad/bsolidarity-is-a-muscle-it-needs-exercise-b

"It’s just not enough to say we’re *willing* to strike. (And it may be even worse to admit "we don’t want to strike".) We must be willing, maybe even *eager*, to flex those muscles when necessary. Our solidarity is a living, breathing thing. It requires our energy, attention, and #love. And a #strike is the ultimate performance of #solidarity."

#CalState #CalFac #union

https://rant.li/csurad/bsolidarity-is-a-muscle-it-needs-exercise-b

"Labor #unions do many things, but the most important thing is bring workers together into a collective project. The work of a union is to build #solidarity among its members and to expand that solidarity into the rest of the workplace, then ultimately, globally throughout the entirety of the #WorkingClass. Like all great athletic feats, the creation of an international #LaborMovement requires lots of boring exercise."

#CalState #CalFac #strike

https://rant.li/csurad/bsolidarity-is-a-muscle-it-needs-exercise-b

"Being compelled to contribute dues in the past was a false form of #solidarity; a perverse proxy for the hard work of building a #union. Let’s acknowledge that the more important resource is the people themselves. If the #labor #movement can win over #workers directly, then unions will still have the economic resources they need to fight the bosses, and have a more activated & rebellious membership that is ready for that fight, too."

#CalState #CalFac #strike

https://rant.li/csurad/the-rebirth-of-the-fighting-union-in-a-post-janus-america

"Given the high occupational status of #faculty and the esteemed prestige associated with #Universities it’s easy to assume that such faculty ought to be “well-heeled”, respectful, & polite. While it’s never a good policy to universally be an asshole, just because someone has lots of advanced degree and a high prestige job doesn’t mean that they shouldn't be able to fight & demand respect when they are poorly treated by administrators."

#CalState #union #CalFac #strike

https://rant.li/csurad/professionalism-as-code-for-submissiveness-and-deference

"From the perspective of their departmental colleagues, chairs ought to be assistants who execute the faculty’s will and advocate on behalf of their #faculty #colleagues... But, that’s not really what #admins want departmental #chairs to be focused on. University admins want chairs to be factory-floor supervisors, keeping their faculty in-line, conveying directives from higher-up the food-chain."

#CalFac #union #SelfGovernance

https://rant.li/csurad/administrators-are-disciplinarians

"Faculty don’t need bosses to do their work: they can #teach their classes and conduct their #research without any interventions, thank you very much. And, there’s no reason why #democratic self-governance and confederation can’t facilitate all #university decision-making. But, #administrators often convince themselves that the faculty are “out of control” and require discipline, which they are more than happy to offer."

#CalFac #union #strike #CalState #excess #leaders

https://rant.li/csurad/administrators-are-disciplinarians

"The unofficial policy of most American #universities these days is to convert #academic departments into lean, mean diploma machines. Instead of hiring enough #faculty members to provide a quality #education, poorly-paid adjuncts are exploited in ever greater numbers. This has lead to shrinking #tenure density and thus a politically-weakened faculty."

#CalState #exploitation #KnowledgeWorkers #union #CalFac #CFA #Strike

https://rant.li/csurad/doing-more-with-less-is-not-alchemy

"#University #administrators have become like all other bosses in private enterprise: pushing employees to the brink of #exhaustion. “Working smarter” & “doing more with less” is as realistic as turning lead into gold. Until admins are willing to address basic, underling realities, their demands should be correctly identified for the foolish alchemy they are. And we ought to refuse to perform miracles to satisfy their whims."

#CalFac #union #CalState #BurnOut #austerity

https://rant.li/csurad/doing-more-with-less-is-not-alchemy