After the break I'll offer some examples of that creativity.
While some striking faculty were at the entrances to campus, others were busy engaged in "virtual picketing." The front page of the DE had a picture that will probably become iconic for this particular strike, and rather quickly it was coopted for some online protest art.
You'll find this picture and other interesting media protest artifacts over at a new blog, Occupy SIUC. This blog sprung up specifically in response to the Administration's rather heavy-handed censoring of pro-union or even just pro-settlement comments on the SIUC Facebook page. The DE covered this story rather well here. Another blog, bit51, explained quite clearly how the Administration stumbled into a rather big social media faux pas. Now just to be clear: this is the same Administration that chides us not to be afraid of technology and distance learning. Great way to demonstrate your "superior" grasp of social media, Anthony Hall.
The Occupy SIUC blog is turning into quite the outlet of strike news from mainstream media and citizen (including student) generated media. For those easily offended by satire, though, be warned: there may be a video of a Chancellor Cheng sock puppet reading her recent email. But lest we find such antics uncivil, the puppet is wearing a very tasteful string of pearls.
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| Steve Jahnke / The Southern (follow this link for more strike pics.) |
We got a reputation on the corner of Chautauqua and Oakland for being the loud and rowdy crowd, with lots of call-and-response chants and good interactions with motorists. It's been said before, but the vast majority of community and campus members driving by gave us signs of encouragement. On Friday afternoon, some of our supporters grew tired of the chanting and took us down a more musical path, teaching us a round that could very well become the theme song of this strike.
We Want the Truth by Bungy32
A week ago I made this claim, and I am only stronger in this conviction now: there is so much creative energy and love for this campus among the strikers and their supporters. This is a resource the Administration would be well advised to capitalize on. One day soon this strike will be over, and when it is I hope the Chancellor will take advantage of this positive energy for the good of the university and a shared vision of our future together. There is so much that we could accomplish by working together, by finding our common interests and reasonable compromises where we differ. But first, we have to get a fair contract on the table. Or as my partner's Facebook profile picture currently says:
Thanks, Jonny for the image. If you don't mind, I will repost on facebook: seems appropriate for SIUC's British history professor to do so.
ReplyDeleteLet's keep the momentum going!!!!
Jonathan, great posting! I lUV SIUC students! They're awesome! I lUV SIUC faculty--especially those who are who are fighting for the continued survival and growth of this university! I am glad that the administration has decided to renew the negotiations with the FA with a mediator present. Let's hope they reach an agreement soon. Faculty in some units such as the Business School, Anthropology, Psychology, Chemistry, and a few others are pretending that it is business as usual. They're sadly mistaken and they've all lost a chance to seize upon the many teachable moments that are emerging from this situation.
ReplyDeleteThe delicious irony of all of this is that I am (or shall I say was) teaching a class on British history this fall. And come Monday, should we still be on strike, I am due to teach the Irish Civil War from 1916 to 1922. Heaven forfend, if we are still forced to do this on Wednesday to save this university from itself, my scab will have to teach my students about the 1926 British general strike. Oh, how I love the irony!!
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of the photo of the strikers with puppets (credited to Steve Jahnke of The Southern, and linked to the rest of his strike photos at that newspaper's site), all images in this post are copyright free with an expectation of Creative Commons citation protocol. So yeah, repost away!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that irony Joe S! On Tues my grad seminar on Communication, Pedagogy and Culture would have begun reading Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy & Civic Courage. Perhaps they could just look out the window.
ReplyDeleteTouche! I love it!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonny G. for the clarification. I reposted the mock up of the "Carry On" poster at the tail-end of your blog post.
Forgot to bring my camera yesterday to my strike position, but a fellow strike mate of ours brought his two saluki dogs for about an hour in the morning. He was very careful to avoid walking onto SIUC property; apparently part and parcel of the idiocy of this place is that you have to have a permit from the university to walk a saluki dog anywhere on campus.
ReplyDeleteJoe S,
ReplyDeleteRandy Auxier's replacement changed his syllabus for Tuesday night. Original topic? Loyalty and treason.
Oh, how delicious!!
ReplyDeleteJoe Sramek, I hope you (and all of us) will be back in class soon. Otherwise, I see your "scab" teaching the 1926 General Strike from the perspective of Winston Churchill who was virulently anti-working class and who sent troops into the Rhonda Valley to suppress a miner's strike in the early decades of the last century. I always wondered why a poster of him in 1965 was covered by black paint in South Wales at the time he was regarded as a national hero. Now, I know why. The creativity on this blog today is amazing.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, for a brief while, members of the Labour Party were wary of serving in his government when he became prime minister in 1940 because of his over-the-top participation in squashing the 1926 General Strike (where as Chancellor of the Exchequer he edited the official government newspaper because all of Fleet Street went on strike also).
ReplyDeleteI myself have very ambivalent feelings toward Churchill. On the one hand, I do believe he helped save the world in 1940 against Hitler when almost no one else had the courage to do so. On the other hand, his efforts against workers and against colonized subjects worldwide are appalling.
I am sure it provides a sense of bravado for your cause, but those of you that are familiar with true class struggle and the labor movement should feel a little uncomfortable making the comparison with the plight of SIU faculty. Even if all of the hyperboli were true it doesn't even compare. We all live in nice houses, drink good coffee and make 3-4 times the salary of the average southern Illinoisian worker. Sure, we have the legal right to collective bargaining and striking, but lets not draw too much on topics like the Brittish general strike. Coal miners we are not.
ReplyDeleteNo, we are not coal miners. However, in recognition of the solidarity that workers have regardless of the type of work they perform, Clause 4 of the 1918 Labour Party constitution began with the following words: "To secure for the workers by hand or by brain..."
ReplyDeleteCollective bargaining rights are not to be triflingly dismissed. I wish many more workers still had them. I am also very glad that our four unions stood together so that three of them, comprised of workers most of whom make significantly less than I do as an assistant professor on campus, could achieve fair contracts. The numbers of grad assistants, non-tenure track professors, and civil service workers who have joined our picket line on their breaks or when they are not teaching has really warmed my heart. For suddenly a crowd of nearly 75 students to materialize out of seemingly nowhere to join my picket line in solidarity on Thursday afternoon did wonders to warm my bone-chilled body.
Joe's mention of solidarity me an excuse to point out that the FA is not the only union with an unresolved contract on campus. The police are going to arbitration with the administration--as soon as their union and the administration can agree on an arbitrator.
ReplyDeleteThank you university police, for your professionalism in keeping the campus safe during a busy and trying time on campus!
Yes, indeed! I was very grateful yesterday morning for the university cop that warned me and other strikers of a white car trying to run other strikers over. I wish them the very best luck with their contract dispute with the university.
ReplyDeleteI was at the meeting on Thursday, from before it started until after it ended, and I neither heard any smug comments nor observed disrespectful behavior from senior administrators or anyone else with respect to the weather, the strike, or the unions that settled the night before.
ReplyDeleteTry seeking and telling the truth for a change. Those who lie about little things often lie about big things.
I'm also grateful for them telling us when we were getting too close to the road for safety. We may not have liked hearing that we should stay back where we were less visible, but they really were looking out for EVERYONE'S safety.
ReplyDeleteAny more news on the white car?
ReplyDeleteThat episode sounds pretty unpleasant
A police officer has spoken with the driver. The driver indicated that he did not intend to run anyone down, that he was just trying to make a point. The officer told him that a way to make a point is to stop and talk with people and debate the issues.
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen to the driver judicially remains to be seen.
"No, we are not coal miners. However, in recognition of the solidarity that workers have regardless of the type of work they perform"
ReplyDeleteFollow some old-time unionists on The Southern Illinoisan comment section (people like Old Joe). They see this as a failed strike because there is no real solidarity when the other 3 broke away and only a minority of faculty struck. General strike this is not. . .
Anon. 10:49 PM:
ReplyDeleteThe four unions agreed from the start of their coalition that they would celebrate each others' contracts when they happened. Old Joe may count that as "failed," but we are happy that ACsE, GAU, and NTTFA succeeded and are delighted to see them on the picket line with us when they can.
It's time for Rita Cheng, JOhn Niklow and Glenn Poshard to quit or if not at least make sincere efforts to facilitate the negotiation process and reach an agreement with the FA. Unfortunately, They do not appear to have the best interests of the students, the university and the Southern Illinois community. Rita Cheng was quick to impose furloughs on everyone else but was unwilling to (in her own words)" put her stuff (money) in the coffer". She and the other administrators took a far smaller percentage of pay cuts (6 days based on a 12 month salary0 whereas faculty took 4 days out of a considerably lower 9 month salary. Now who is it who cares more about "money"! NIklow received more than 30 percent pay hike for the double promotion he received when Cheng chose him to be the Provost. In these hard times, why was he given so much money? Why didn't he turn down the big pay hike? When it comes to salaries for administrators there is much flexibility and no restrictions. As for Glenn Poshard, the unions unfortunately supported him when he was "down"--but he seems to have a short memory.
ReplyDeleteNOw the administration is busy trying to hire more administrators--Associate Provost for Academic affairs as well as another person to head the so called university college among others. No doubt the people who are hired will be paid huge salaries! I doubt if they will turn down all that money. Now who are the people who only care about money???
Annoyn 5:22
ReplyDeleteWould you turn down a pay raise like Nicklow got? No, you wouldn't. And don't pretend you would. And considering the changes in his position and workload, that raise is not out of line with his new responsibilities.
"Try seeking and telling the truth for a change. Those who lie about little things often lie about big things."
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Perplexed, I wasn't there. I heard this exchange reported straight from an officer in the GPSC. I submit, though, that your confused attitude about us in this short post makes me wonder if you would have heard (or ever acknowledged) such a comment when/if it happened.
But I like your advice, and would say this applies even more so to people in administrative leadership positions. So that makes the Chancellor's lies (well documented and so far un-refuted on this blog) a big problem. Surely, you aren't "perplexed" about that!