Notice of GAGE Bargaining Committee Nominations and Elections
From Friday, January 25, 2019, until 5 PM on Thursday, January 31, 2019, nominations for the Bargaining Committee (BC) will be open. The BC will be composed of graduate employees tasked with meeting university administration to negotiate our contract as graduate employees. Our goal is to have a large, diverse bargaining committee that reflects a wide range of disciplines, demographic groups, and experiences as graduate workers at Georgetown. Participating on this committee is an excellent opportunity to make a difference for all graduate employees, including research assistants (RAs), teaching assistants (TAs), and instructors of record.
The Responsibilities of the Bargaining Committee
Membership on the BC is a real commitment. Members of the BC will be responsible for the following tasks throughout the bargaining process:
Working to win a contract that serves the interests of the whole membership;
Meeting at least one (1) time per week throughout the bargaining process.
Becoming the experts of particular issues and topics to be negotiated;
Strategizing bargaining table tactics;
Attending and participating in all bargaining sessions with the administration;
Working with the lead negotiator to write contract language with support from working/research groups on specific issues (mostly draft the bottom line); and
Liaising with both the Organizing Committee (OC) and the General Membership (GM).
The Composition of the Bargaining Committee
The BC will consist of 12-24 members, ideally including at least three (3) from each of the four (4) areas listed below, and including at least one (1) master’s and one (1) doctoral graduate worker in each category (where possible).
Each graduate program is categorized based on the classification scheme that Georgetown uses. To see which category your program falls under, click here. Please note that Biomedical Graduate Education is included in Category 1: Natural Sciences, Math, Computer Science, and Analytics.
Natural Sciences, Math, Computer Science, Analytics: Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology, Biology, Biostatisticsc, Analytics, Global Infectious Disease, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Microbiology, Tumor Biology, Pharmacology, IPN/Neurosciences, Health Physics, Nursing, Physiology, Math and Statistics, Biohazards
Humanities, Languages: Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Arab and Islamic Studies, German, Linguistics, Spanish and Portuguese, English
Social Sciences: Economics, Government, History, Psychology, Conflict Resolution, Democracy and Governance, History, Global Health, Communications, Culture, and Technology, Learning and Design
Professional Master's: School of Foreign Service, MBA, Public Policy, International Development Policy, Data Science/Public Policy, Finance, Professional Studies, Emergency Management, Higher Education Administration, Applied Intelligence, Other Master's programs in School of Continuing Studies
Who Is Eligible to Nominate or Be Nominated?
Graduate workers who (a) are working this semester as an RA, a TA, or an instructor of record or may work in one of those roles in the Fall 2019 semester and (b) have signed a GAGE membership card are eligible to nominate and be nominated for election to the BC. This includes GAGE members who are not currently working as an RA, a TA, or an instructor of record or who do not presently know whether they will be holding one of these roles in the fall. Self-nominations will be accepted.
(Becoming a member of GAGE is always welcome, and please sign the GAGE membership card if you want to have a voice in the bargaining process!)
The Nomination Process
The nomination and election process will be overseen by the Election Committee (EC), which will consist of three (3) to five (5) volunteers from the OC. To make a nomination for the BC, individuals should contact the EC at GAGEOrganizing@gmail.com no later than 5 PM on Thursday, January 31, with the name, email address, and department of the person you wish to nominate. The EC will contact all nominees to verify whether they accept their nomination and complete a brief candidate questionnaire (see below).
Candidates are also encouraged--but not required--to attend one or both of the GAGE General Assembly meetings (Monday, February 4, from 5 to 6 PM in ICC 118 and Tuesday, February 5, from 3 to 4 PM in Car Barn 309) where they will have an opportunity to briefly address those members in attendance.
The Election Process
Nominees who accept their nomination will become a candidate for the BC and run in the election. To accept a nomination and become a candidate for the BC, individuals will be asked by the EC to complete a brief candidate questionnaire. Details on the questionnaire include their name, department, year, master’s or doctoral classification, role as a graduate worker (i.e., RA, TA, or instructor of record), the issues they care about, strengths and any other factors that they would like to share about their personal background or experiences. Candidates will also be asked to provide the EC with a photograph. This information will be posted on the GAGE website so that members can learn about candidates prior to voting.
Voting will take place online using an electronic ballot designed by the EC and will be open at the end of the two General Assembly meetings, and on Wednesday, February 6, and Thursday, February 7. Graduate workers who (a) are working this semester as an RA, a TA, or an instructor of record or may work in one of those roles in the Fall 2019 semester and (b) have signed a GAGE membership card are eligible to vote. This includes GAGE members who are not currently working as an RA, a TA, or an instructor of record or who do not presently know whether they will be holding one of those roles in the fall. Each voter will be asked to provide their name in order to verify their eligibility. Eligible voters can vote for up to six (6) nominees in each category. The top six (6) vote-getters in each category (inclusive of at least one master’s and doctoral nominee, where such nominees exist) will be elected to the BC.
Results will be announced by the EC on Friday, February 8.
