From United Academics—UA has been working hard on a Caregiving Article that creates supports for all forms of caregiving. However, the administration is only addressing a few chosen items from the overall article. This discussion will continue through bargaining.
To demonstrate the vast need for supports for caregivers, to address barriers to equity for those campus members who are juggling care and the fulfillment of their jobs, UA is having a RALLY/CELEBRATION on Friday, May 27, from 3:45-6:00 on the Memorial Lawn between PLC and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated the struggles faced by workers who also have caregiving responsibilities. Nearly one in four people in the U.S. is a caregiver; we care for our dependents, parents, families, communities, and others, despite working within institutions structured for those with the means to seek care from the care economy (where workers are grossly underpaid). Balancing caregiving and paid work is often characterized as an individual choice or issue, but institutions can and must do more to help.
United Academics is committed to supporting our caregiving members and colleagues. We have worked to address inequities by identifying needed supports for our members, colleagues, and other campus community members who are caregivers. We have presented a proposed Caregiving Article, the first of its kind, in our current bargaining process to further the ongoing conversation about how to minimize the barriers faced by caregivers. We also attempt to address these issues in other ways including through the advocacy of our Working Families Caucus, which all members are welcome to join. To bring more institutional awareness to these issues, we are having a rally this week for all caregivers in our UO community.
Please join us this Friday to celebrate our shared work as caregivers who are also teachers, researchers, staff members, graduate students, undergraduate students, and others who constitute our campus community.
Please feel welcome to bring your dependents or anyone you care for, or just yourself, for fun, pizza, balloon animals, face painting, and a parade march around Johnson Hall.
In addition, UA is looking for volunteers to:
- Help make signs and banners on Tuesday the 24th from 11-1:00pm at the United Academics office.
- Help with Set-up, activities during the event, or clean-up for the rally on Friday the 27th.
Please email Lynn Fujiwara at fujiwara@uauoregon.org to respond to these requests.