MSP BULLETIN

URGENT BULLETIN

22 August 2002

We are appalled at the legislature’s refusal to override the Governor’s veto of our contract funding, and are sure you feel the same way. So we are starting a campaign to turn this situation around, and we are confident it will succeed.

A statewide labor coalition, of which we are a part, has formed to work for funding of all the outstanding contracts. This group is pursuing several types of activities:

  • legal avenues
  • legislative/lobbying efforts
  • campus actions/activities

We will be participating in these actions, as well as locally sponsored activities on this campus. These actions are critical to our long-range planning, in order to

  • keep our members informed and involved
  • keep politicians and the public aware of our needs
  • keep the university leadership at all levels mindful of this problem

We are working on your behalf, but you need to help, as well. We are asking all our members to volunteer for two hours during the fall semester. Right now we need volunteers for the following activities:

  • leafleting students and parents on moving-in days, September 1st and 2nd, to welcome them to campus and make them aware of the difficulties in the year ahead
  • attendance at the annual UMass/AFL-CIO cancer walk Monday, September 2nd, at the Medical School in Worcester (rides will be available)
  • taking a "community coffee break" on September 5th, from 10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., to congregate at one of four campus locations (Franklin Dining Commons, Whitmore, the Garage, Berkshire Dining Commons)

All the campus unions are participating in these actions, and their doing so helps us; we need to do our part, both to help ourselves and to help the other members of the coalition. These contracts rise or fall together!

Please RSVP to the MSP office (tel. 52206; email msp@external.umass.edu) by August 28th, and be sure to let us know what specific activity you are volunteering for, and what times you are available. We’ll get back to you to confirm times and to give you any additional information that might be necessary.

Thanks—and we’ll keep you posted as this goes along.