DPW states its support of Indigenous students on campus, and takes into account the suggestions born from their personal experiences. We work within our own experiences as part of the Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan communities—as professors, educators, students—with the goal of educating ourselves towards lifting up Indigenous voices. We recognize solidarity towards similar goals in the spirit of coliberation.
in solidarity
Ana María, Emily, Andrew and Stephanie
11 October 2020
As we are sure that many of you are aware, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO)—the union representing most of our graduate students—sent out a strike authorization ballot this weekend. The ballot has passed with 79% of voters approving a labor stoppage effective Tuesday, September 8th. The graduate students will be striking over a list of demands (found here) related to both the bungled reopening plans carried out by the administration and the need for the university to adjust its policing policy to better protect people of color. The strike will also be in solidarity with the national Scholars Strike called for September 8th and 9th.
Dedicated to the advancement of decolonizing discourse and action in our teaching and research, the Decolonizing Pedagogies Workshop stands in solidarity with GEO and its platform. GEO is fighting for a Covid-19 reopening plan that is transparent and aims to protect all members of the U of M and Washtenaw County communities. Further, we are concerned about U of M’s stance that GEO’s anti-policing demands fall outside the purview of the union’s contract and are therefore not an appropriate subject of bargaining. A wealth of evidence across the country indicates law enforcement does not protect all people equally and is in many instances a threat to the health and safety of BIPOC. The fatal shooting of Aura Rosser in 2014 by the Ann Arbor Police Department shows that the AAPD is implicated in these larger dynamics. As such, it is important to ask how the U of M can assert that this is a public-health informed semester while at the same time encourage increased police surveillance of the campus community?
If you would like to get involved and support GEO:
You can join their in-person and remote picket here
Sign the major action pledge here
Join their daily teach-in at 12 noon EST link here
A Faculty Solidarity group in support of GEO and Student Workers and their demands will meet at the Diag this Wednesday, September 9 at 11:15am to march and reconvene at the Diag at noon for a teach-in in solidarity with GEO’s daily teach-in. DPW will participate and we invite you to join us.
Solidarity
Emily, Ana María, Andrew, and Stephanie
8 September 2020