We at CGE are not usually the type of people who like to toot our own horns, but, I must say, the Winter ’08 GMM truly rocked. As beer flowed free and cold from Clod’s tap and nachos abounded from their kitchen, we introduced our new Organizer (Dennis) and our new VP Organizing (Melissa), talked about how CGE has been kicking ass since the Fall GMM (including our successful Winter membership drive), and anticipated the impending birth of our VP Comminication’s (Allison’s) child.

With no baby forthcoming, Joe (our VP Bargaining) and Brett (our master lead negotiator) gave a rousing update on this year’s contract negotiations, and we had a discussion about the proposals—including full fee relief and cheaper, better, and more over-the-summery health care—we’ll be making to the university. In the end the membership was psyched about the contract we’re working for and unanimously endorsed all of our proposals.

Afterwards, we elected 5 delegates to head to Sunriver in April to attend the 56th annual AFT Oregon Convention, where by day they will conduct serious Union business—such as deciding how your dues are spent and plotting AFT Oregon’s legislative agenda for the year—and by night party with our brothers and sisters from the GTFF.

The meeting, unfortunately, was not without a touch of poignancy, as we concluded with a farewell to Chad, our long-time Organizer, who’ll be taking a job helping his fellow servicemen with the VA in Roseburg.

After the official business, a big group of us stuck around and learned how to insult people in foreign languages, shared stories about Wisconsin Dells, The Waterpark Capital of the World!®, and had another pitcher of free beer.

All things considered, this was unquestionably the best general membership meeting so far in 2008. We’re hoping we can say the same thing again in the Spring.