In attendance: Kris Osterloh, Chris Mihiar, Vance Almquist, Zhian Kamvar, Thomas Morrill, Stephanie Parreira, Clint Mattox; Ashley Bromley, Angela McClendon.

Meeting called to order at 4:15 PM

Minutes from 3-8-2016 – Approved.

Email Decisions – Set 5 PM Tuesday for the Spring Term EC meetings (except when preempted by Steward Council or Convention delegate meetings).

Online Tax Payment – The EC approves Angela paying the March federal payroll tax online.

Social Hour Debrief – The last one on March 17 was pretty good. The EC has been happy with the Social Hour successes this term and would like to continue the Thirsty Third Thursday theme. In April, the third Thursday is our GMM, so we’ll just tell everyone to come to that instead (there will be beer).

Ballot Initiative 62 (Anti-Worker Legislation) – There’s an initiative petition for a measure on the November Oregon ballot that would take fair share away from public employee unions. Political Organizer Maria Graybeal from AFT-Oregon said she’d be happy to come down to a GMM or Steward Council meeting to talk about it. We’ll ask Maria to come to our Fall GMM to help us organize a big “vote no” push. In the meantime, we’ll also send some info to the Steward list to ask them not to sign the initiative petition.

Steward Council Meeting – This is next Tuesday, April 5.

• Agenda: Bargaining update; Steward Council elections; Steward retreat concept; office visits.
• Menu: A really good salad bar.
• Shopping: Ashley will make a list. Shannon will shop on Monday.
• Food Prep: Shannon, Stephanie, and Ashley will prep on Tuesday.

AGEL Call Debrief – Clint participated in this on March 24 with about 6 other people. They did their local updates and Lakey gave a political/solidarity update. A few more locals have signed onto the Mizzou solidarity statement since Clint emailed the AGEL listserv at the start of the month.

Alliance for a Socially Just University / BOT Meeting – The BOT meetings were yesterday and today. Several students talked eloquently about the excessive costs of on-campus housing/cost-of-living in Corvallis as well as tuition. There was also a panel about the planned location for a new research building in the Newport tsunami zone with a very interesting conversation. The panel included geologists, engineers, ethicists, and more. This is a very appropriate place for CGE to have a voice since there will be many graduate employees working there (as there currently are many in Hatfield). There was a student-led protest at Wednesday’s committee meeting about the tuition increase. The only Board member who voted against the tuition increase was the SEIU representative – not even the student representative voted against it. Clint also reports that the Alliance has begun a conversation about having a solidarity event of some sort at an upcoming BOT meeting (probably in the fall). Clint supports the idea and will keep us in the loop on what gets planned. The next Alliance meeting is next Wednesday.

Fair Share Process Discussion – Due to some nonmembers expressing displeasure about no longer receiving their fair share refunds, we wanted to have a conversation about the way CGE has previously set up the fair share objection/refund process. The EC agrees that in the fall, when we’re preparing our next fair share notice, we will update the process so that we will presume renewal of objection for nonmembers who previously submitted their objection and request for refund. Further, the EC agrees that starting with the next fair share notice/refund year, we’ll begin notifying nonmembers of objection periods each term (rather than once a year) so, for example, if someone misses the fall term deadline but submits their objection letter by the winter term deadline, they can still get their refunds starting with winter term. (We intend to continue opening the challenge period only once a year, when the notice of rate change goes out in the fall.) On Tuesday, we will ask the Steward Council to affirm the EC’s decision.

Graduate Student Advisory Committee – Clint signed himself up for this.

ASOSU Candidate Meeting – Clint talked with someone from all three of the ASOSU Pres/VP campaigns. All are interested in interacting with CGE. Unfortunately our timeline is really crunched because elections are next week, so it would be difficult to set up meetings. In the past we asked the candidates to fill out a questionnaire, but many of the questions would no longer be relevant and we don’t have time to revamp the survey. We think inviting them to the Steward Council to speak for a couple minutes each would be just the right amount of effort on our part. Clint will circulate a draft invitation.

AFT Convention – We have been allotted 15 delegates to the national convention (July 18-21 in Minneapolis. While we’d like to send a lot of members, it will be pretty expensive with flights and hotels. The EC approves sending 2 delegates. We’ll elect them at the GMM.

Elections – We need to get the mailer out by Tuesday! The EC approves Ashley’s brilliant new idea of printing the info on postcards instead of trifold letters. The perforated postcard paper will cost more than the trifold paper, but it will mean saving a TON of time (and probably a little on postage) – and we think more people will read the info if it’s on a postcard instead of inside something they have to open.

Ed Ray Meeting – Thomas confirmed with Ed’s office that we’d like to meet on Wednesday, May 18.

Letter to UNB Board of Governors – The grad union at the University of New Brunswick has been bargaining for over 2 years and earlier this month had one date of mediation without resolution. No further mediation or bargaining dates are currently scheduled. They’re asking for letters of support and solidarity from other grad locals. Stephanie will work on a draft.

All-Member Email – Ashley and Clint worked on a draft earlier today touching on spring term bargaining, the GMM, Steward Council elections, and ASOSU elections. Kris will add a very noticeable line about submitting nominations for officer positions. Kris will circulate a draft for the EC to approve.

Game Night $$ – This is happening tonight! 7 PM at Woodstock’s. Last time, we decided to use our Social money for a few pizzas, but people who arrived not-first were unhappy that there wasn’t enough of (the right kind of) pizza left for them. To hopefully avoid that grumpiness, the EC approves spending about the same amount (around $120) for beer/soda this time, and people can get their own food.

Meeting adjourned at 5:30 PM. Next meeting will be Thursday, April 7 at 5 PM.