Local 2141 Elections 2012--Candidate Statements

Chris Dean, Lecturer, Writing Program

My name is Christopher Dean, and I am a lecturer in the UCSB Writing Program.  I have been active in our local since 2005, and have been on the Executive Board since 2005.  During my time on the e-board, I have acted as the editor of Forward, done some work or the local website, and most recently was tapped to serve on the PDF committee as a representative of the e-board.  I have also represented unit 18 as a representative to the Undergraduate Council and the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policy. 

I believe deeply in the intellectual and political work that our union has done on UCSB's campus and across the entire UC system.  My goal is to continue to serve my colleagues, my university, and my union in any way I can.

Dana Driskel, Lecturer, Film and Media Studies

Ralph Gallucci, Lecturer, Classics

Myriam Gonzales-Smith, Lecturer, Spanish and Portuguese

Gregory Hillis, Lecturer, Religious Studies

My name is Greg Hillis. I have been a lecturer in the department of Religious Studies for ten years, and have served on the UC-AFT Local 2141 Executive Board for one year. During that time I have focused primarily on outreach efforts to non-senate faculty and students. Our union represents the interests of librarians and lecturers in a variety of areas, both at UCSB and system-wide. We are all the beneficiaries of successful union negotiations with the UC on salary, benefits, worklaod, etc. Moreover, our union is one of the most effective advocates for for public education generally, as well as for a variety of intimately related social and political issues. It would be a privilege to continue working on these critical matters with the dedicated members of the e-board.

Peter Huk, Lecturer, Writing Program

Katia McClain, Lecturer, Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies

I was recruited into the local when I started teaching at UCSB twenty years ago. I have served as local president, statewide president and currently serve as grievance officer and member of the local executive board. I would like to continue as a member of the executive board of local 2141 to continue the work that our union has been doing to protect and enhance the working conditions of the nearly invisible academic employees at UCSB, the lecturers and librarians. The work we do is central to the educational and research mission of the university and strengthening our contracts protects our ability to do that work. I would also like to continue as a member of the board to join in the efforts by staff, students and faculty to try to bring the UC system back to its original mission of providing equal access to high quality, free public education to the students of California. 

Kathy Patterson, Lecturer, Writing Program

Carole Paul, Lecturer, History of Art and Architecture

I have served on the executive board of Local 2141 of the UC-AFT longer than I can now remember.  I joined because I came to realize that if lecturers and librarians did not band together to better their working conditions, no one else in the UC system would help us.  Over the years I have attended monthly union meetings, recruited new members, and attended and helped to plan numerous events, including the strike in fall 2002 that got lecturers continuing appointments and a professional development fund.  I served on the first professional development fund council here at UCSB, helping to draw up the initial call for proposals and award the first set of grants.  Even beyond my work for the local, I am currently representing lecturers on the UCSB Council on Faculty Issues and Awards.  I hope to continue to promote the interests of lecturers and librarians here at Santa Barbara and throughout the UC system on the issues that matter most to us, such as salaries, workload, job security, and benefits.

Roy Vallis, Lecturer, Writing Program

vallis@writing.ucsb.edu, royvallis@gmail.com

I have been a member of UC-AFT Local 2141 for over 12 years.  I served as a member-at-large when I first arrived at UCSB, but due to personal circumstances well beyond my control, I was never able to commit the kind of time and energy required to be an effective, active member.  Those circumstances have changed for the better, and I find myself ready and able to dedicate fully to the important work of the union.  To that end, I have recently become involved in the grievance process as steward (with Katia McClain, and in conjunction with Bill Quirk, our local Representative).  This position is of great significance to me because it represents the point of enforcement of the contractual guarantees for which we have collectively fought so hard; a contract gets its value from its successful execution more than anything else.  It is the point at which theory meets practice.  It is now obvious to me that a position on the eBoard—regular interaction with our members---is an essential component of this duty.  I look forward to serving the union.

Sally Willson Weimer, Librarian

I am running for re-election as librarians' (non senate) representative.  I have served as a sociology and global & international studies librarian for several years. Before I took on those collections responsibilities, I was the women's studies subject specialist.  I have appreciated serving as a librarians' rep., and want to continue to work to improve librarians' due process rights and compensation as academic employees.

I welcome your feedback, suggestions, and request your vote for re-election. Thank you for the opportunity to serve our colleagues and academics and to seek excellence for our colleagues and our students.