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UC-AFT Response to BFA's Robert Reich Campaign

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Dear UC-AFT 1474 Members,

We are writing to update you, and solicit your feedback, on the Berkeley Faculty Association's (BFA) campaign for Robert Reich as Chancellor of UC Berkeley.  At our October Monthly Membership Meeting, the chair of the BFA (and member of UC-AFT 1474), Michael Burawoy, gave a presentation on this campaign and proposed that our union endorse the campaign (see attached PDF).  After much discussion at the meeting, it was decided that members would meet as a committee to discuss the campaign and any actions that we would take as a local.  The BFA's campaign has already been endorsed by other campus unions including the Academic Student Employee union, UAW local 2865, and the Union Professional and Technical Employees, CWA local 9119.  The following text comes from the BFA's "Ten Reasons to Support Robert Reich for Chancellor" (see attached for full document):

"The process for selecting the next Chancellor is being conducted in secret with the candidates unknown.  We propose to open the selection process by promoting our own candidate, Robert Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy”

Following subsequent conversations on this topic with members, a union meeting to discuss this proposal on Friday, 10/28/16, and a meeting with the BFA and UC-AFT members, we'd like to share our thoughts and ask for your feedback for how we proceed as a union.

We agreed that we share many of the main principles of the BFA campaign, and recognize that there are additional ways that non-senate faculty and librarians can leverage our voices through the Chancellor Advisory Committee process to support Robert Reich, or another candidate that embraces the views and principles driving the BFA’s campaign, in becoming Chancellor.  The attached resolution was drafted by UC-AFT 1474 members to the faculty and staff search committee. 

Therefore, we would like to ask you all to complete a survey to provide us with feedback on how we proceed (the survey was sent to members' emails).  The survey asks if you would support endorsing the BFA campaign, the resolution letter, both options, or neither.  Your responses will be reviewed by our executive board in order to make a decision on how we, as a union, move forward.

Thank you in advance for your participation,