From: blmckean@aol.com
Date: Wed Jul 24 2002 - 21:39:46 EDT
hey folks,
if you're working on a student/labor solidarity effort -- whether it's a
living wage campaign, an organizing drive, a contract battle, whatever --
we'd love for you to join others doing similar things in Boston at USAS's
National Affiliates Gathering at MIT August 8th-11th.
I've included more information and a draft agenda below.
thanks very much,
ben
=------------ Forwarded Message ------------=
Despite our setbacks due to the power outage at Tufts University, USAS roles
on! United Students Against Sweatshops will be holding a smaller event from
August 9th-11th in Boston, MA. The gathering will start around 9AM on Friday
and end between 3 and 5PM on Sunday. At this current time we are rapidly
trying to find a new location and we will send out updates over the USAS
listservs once we find a location. This event will be an affiliates
gathering
focusing largely on the internal workings of USAS and how USAS functions as a
national organization. This is a great opportunity for folks to learn more
about how USAS works and how they can get involved in USAS on a national
level.
Due to certain restrictions, we are not going to be able to accommodate the
amount of people that the national gathering was expected to have. Because
of
this we are asking each affiliated school to send 2-3 representatives who are
able to reflect the diversity of your group. It is also preferable that
these
representatives are not already USAS leadership. This way, we can build new
leadership for the years to come. Please think carefully about who you would
like to send to this empowering experience!
If your school is not already affiliated with USAS please check out our
website (www.usasnet.org) for more information on how to affiliate.
The cost for the affiliates gathering is a sliding scale of $20-50 with a
suggested cost of $30. All housing will be crash housing unless people find
their own lodging. Scholarships are still available until Tuesday July 23.
Please make sure to let us know when you can leave your home and when you
need
to be back.
If you previously registered for the Tufts University USAS conference and are
still planning on attending the affiliate gathering, please re-register with
the form below.
If you would like to register for the affiliates gathering please send the
following information to peaceout@gwu.edu
name:
e-mail address:
phone number:
school:
dietary preference (meat/veggie/vegan):
travel arrangements (plane, train, car, bus, etc.):
We look forward to seeing you there! Any questions can be directed to Trina
at talkalot83@hotmail.com /616-873-1000 or Jackie at brayj@umich.edu
/201-491-8588
United Students Against Sweatshops
888 16th Street NW Suite 303
Washington, DC 20006
202-NO-SWEAT
www.usasnet.org
DRAFT AGENDA FOR USAS AFFILIATE GATHERING/ ORGANIZING MEETING
Thursday
REGISTRATION: Big room space open all day- time to gather and be directed to
your crash housing.
Ally meeting: Chance for allies to meet each other and to talk to conference
planning committee. Time TBA
Facilitation Training: TBA
Dinner on your own!!
WRC Board Rep. Meeting TBA
Friday
(Ongoing: Registration)
8-9: Breakfast
9-10:30: (in yet to be determined order)
Gather
Agenda go-over
Introductions by school w/ vision-setting word/ phrase
Introduction of USAS leadership
Introduction of allies
General USAS structure w/ handouts and decision-making process- in
detail
10:45-11:30: Identity meeting; women and ally
11:30-12:15: Identity meeting; working class and ally
12:15-1: Lunch with Steven Lerner of SEIU
1-3: Strategy Session #1: Domestic Campaigns- Campus Community Solidarity
Committee
Living Wage Campaigns
Farmworker Campaigns
Graduate Student Campaigns
Immigrant Worker Organizing
Campus Worker Organizing
3-5:30: SEIU Action
5:30-6:45: Identity meeting; people of color and ally
7-8: Plenary- proposal discussion time
8-9: Dinner w/ UNITE! panel
Saturday
8-9: Breakfast: Ally and student mixer
9-10:15: “Bagels and Nova” Post-WRC Strategy/ WRC Campaigns strategy session
10:30-12: Regional Organizing Discussion
12:00-12:45: Shortened identity meeting; queer/ ally
12:45-1: Snack
1-2:30: GAP action
2:30-5:30 Active Solidarity Training w/ lunch
This is a training for all of the people at the conference to talk about,
discuss, and become educated on and also strategize around being an anti-
racist organization.
5:45-7:45 Strategy Session #2: International Campaigns- International
Solidarity Committee
Burma
Garment Sweatshop/ GAP campaigns
Free Trade Area of the Americas
Factory investigations (WRC campaigns)
8-9:30: Dinner and CC discussions/ elections!!
This is time to talk about this is the goals and visions that people have for
the CC and for decision-making processes in general.
PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday
8-9: Breakfast
9-10:15: Regional breakouts, w/ new CC and new ROs for each region leading
the
discussion with regional allies
10:30-11:30: Panel: Student/ Worker Solidarity- this is a chance to talk
about
how students are able to work with unions and workers’ organizations, and for
workers to talk about their experiences working with students, in four
different campaigns.
New Era- Communication Workers of America/ Dan Cross- U Buffalo
SEIU/ Harvard Student: Living Wage Campaign
Farmworkers- Coalition of Immokalee Workers/ student
Grad organizing- U of Michigan
11:45-2: Campaign wrap-up/ calendar building; lunch.
2-2:30: Close
2:30-5: Time for leadership meetings; CC and ROs old and new.
2:30: Boston/ Massachusetts area meeting.
SUGGESTION-
Post-conference workshop slot:
What is a union? Unions 101
Mini-GROW training
NOTES:
Identity meetings: These are like caucuses but due to the limited space and
time, these are more like meetings for caucus groups to discuss a) how they
would like to function during the year b) what suggestions they have for USAS
in general, concrete or otherwise.
Proposals: These will be taken on a one-by-one basis and slotted either into
the appropriate space, i.e. if they have to do with regional organizing they
will be worked into the RO discussion, or they will go in the first hour on
Friday. All will be voted on on Saturday night during the CC time.
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