SDS Organizing for National Day of Action for Education Rights

SDS is part of the Education Rights Campaign at UWM.  The coalition of student groups, faculty, and workers are organizing a speak out to be held in the UWM Union on March 4th, in solidarity with the National Day of Action for Education Rights, and the massive actions that will be happening in California and across the country.  Here are our demands for the UWM administration:

Justice for Students and Workers at UWM!

Education First!
We demand a tuition freeze and increased money for need-based scholarships. This includes investing in the students before expanding infrastructure.  Students are continuing to pay a greater percentage of their educational costs. The university is raising tuition by 5% for 2 years. Thousands of students are struggling to figure out a way to remain in school. On average, students at UW-Milwaukee work more hours than all other students in the UW system. Education should be available to all young people, and our urban university must reflect the urban community. 

Chop from the Top!
We demand the Chancellor and high level administrators of the university take at least a 5% pay cut from their six-figure salaries before deciding to cut salaries of faculty and staff.  Currently, the Chancellor is making over $307,000, a 3% raise from last year.* The Chancellor is also accepting other benefits that include money to pay for his luxury condo, a car, and $20,000 a year from the UWM Foundation. The Chancellor accepts all this and more while cutting all faculty and staff pay by 3%, a net 5% loss after a 2% salary increase was canceled.  *According to the Chancellor’s office, The Journal-Sentinel, and The UWM Red Book.

Transparency Now!
We demand that staff, students and faculty be part of the decision making process.  The Chancellor called for all Deans to cut their departments by 5%. Students and faculty have the right to know exactly what is being cut and who is making these decisions.  We demand the Chancellor publicly lists all cuts by university email.


Academic Freedom!
We demand free, fair, and open discussion of issues on campus.  Students and employees have the right to organize unions and other associations at the university. The university administration must not try to influence or interfere with the rights of students and employees to organize on issues affecting us. 

Campaign Sponsors:
Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Milwaukee Graduate Assistants Association (MGAA), The Association of University of Wisconsin Professionals (TAUWP), Students Equalizing Rights Forever (SERF), Students United for Immigrant Rights at UWM (SUFIR), Progressive Students of Milwaukee (PSM), UWM Association of South American Students (ASAS), Black Student Union (BSU), Jews for Justice, Systematic Peace Project, Colombia Action Network at UWM, Latin America Solidarity Committee, Latino Student Union (LSU), Black Graduate Student Alliance, National Society of Black Engineers at UWM (NSBE), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán  (MEChA MKE), Community Education Organization, English Education Association, Sierra Student Coalition, RSA.

www.EducationRightsCampaign.com

SDS on Queer Liberation

This is a great intro to Queer Liberation written by an SDS member for the SDS Queer Caucus.

“Queer sexuality is as hard to define as it is to ignore” —  Courtney Trouble