Dear SMUFU Members,
Welcome to our new website! We are excited to share our new and improved site that we hope you will bookmark as a quick resource to access information related to a variety of member content. Here you will find access to resources related to SMUFU committees, important documents, our Collective Agreement, access to resources for our Health and Wellness benefits and much more. We will soon initiate a monthly ‘newsletter’ vis a vis this blog format. We will also be able to share updates and news related to our upcoming negotiations with the employer, including a members only login. So, check back here frequently and of course we
always welcome your ideas, contributions and suggestions for improvement.
The importance of connecting in person and on virtual platforms unifies our members and strengthens our solidarity. We hope that your engagement with our web site, social media, and blog posts will serve to provide both important information updates as well as compel you to engage more broadly with your union. There is a vast literature on the importance of social media and the internet in building coalitions and solidarity among union members. I would like to draw your attention to one particularly interesting article that I recently stumbled upon. Hau and Savage (2022) discuss the Danish grassroots union movement representing bicycle couriers. While we might question the relevancy of bicycle couriers to University professors, hear me out.
The authors describe the courier’s attempts at grassroots organization via social media as a form of ‘social media unionism’ that can enable nimble mobilization among workers that are otherwise hard for unions to reach. Some of you will recall our labor action mobilization in winter, 2023, when our ‘meme game’ was strong. Much to the employer’s chagrin and students’ delight, we mobilized in frustrated solidarity around our collective concerns and social media was a primary outlet. While we don’t wish to come that close to the precipice one again, paying attention to our online presence as our negotiating team ramps up will be critical. One
might even say essential. And in times when we are not in the midst of bargaining, let this be our vehicle to connect, deliver messages and be our own courier of sorts.
In Solidarity,
Cathy Conrad
SMUFU President