I love what I do at JPL, but upper management’s decisions during layoffs and the re-org have made it difficult to stay focused on my work. Dave Gallagher addressed some concerns at the Oct 28th Town Hall, but many of us still have unanswered questions about why the layoffs were necessary, how people were selected for promotion–or demotion–as part of the re-org, and what it all means for the future of JPL. I’m organizing to form a union so we can have an equal say in our working conditions as we dare mighty things together.
In order to hold a union election and begin bargaining with upper management, a strong majority of JPLers are signing cards in support of JPL Workers United – UAW (JWU-UAW). There are still JPL workers who haven’t had a conversation with a colleague yet about what it means to form a union. Could we talk for 10-15 minutes this week about coworkers you could ask to sign a card? Reply to this email and I can help connect you with an organizer in your division to discuss next steps.
JWU organizers also put together a new webpage that highlights what upper management is leaving out of their “Be Informed” website as well as a resource comparing JPL’s current policies with those of peer institutions that have union contracts. If you haven’t already, please follow our Instagram account to view new materials as we publish them, and be sure to like, comment, and share with your coworkers!
In solidarity,
Ella Seal
Systems Engineer
1131 – Environmental Engineering