1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: Everyone. It could happen here a bit in a slightly 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: different way. Today it's like asynchronous presentation, and we're gonna 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: have some updates on things that we've covered. So I'm 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: going to update on the ongoing you see strike, which 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: at the time of recording is still ongoing, and these 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: interviews are recorded on Friday, you will be hearing this. 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: If you hurt the day that goes out, you'll be 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: hearing on Tuesday. So a little more have happened, and 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: I'll bring you some more updates after the break. Garrison 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: is reporting on some stuff that they have covered, just 11 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: updating various things, and Chris has an update on the 12 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: mid terms now that we know a little bit more 13 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: about the results of those. So we hope you'll enjoy 14 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: these updates. We want to keep bringing you these stories 15 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: and not just sort of reporting them and then walk away. 16 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: We are off for the rest of the week after that, 17 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: so nothing from us Wednesday through Friday, but we'll have 18 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: something else for you next Monday. Starting to record, and 19 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: if you could start off by just introducing yourself, saying 20 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: your name, maybe what the when you're in something like that, 21 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: and any like impertinent strike information would be cool. I'm 22 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: Amy con are usually your pronouns. I am a second 23 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: year a PhD student in the Computer Science and Engineering department, 24 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,759 Speaker 1: and I am on the bargaining team after the student 25 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: research for union. Hi, my name is Adu Engel. I'm 26 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: a third year in the math department, third year PhD student, 27 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: he pronouns, and I'm on uh, the executive board for 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: our union new aw amazing, Okay, great. I'm James he 29 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: him uh And yeah, I'm a journalist trying to feel 30 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: like one. So you guys have been out for about 31 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: a week now, right, and you like, there was pretty 32 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: good energy today. We just finished a big rally here 33 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: down by the beach. People could probably hear the ocean 34 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: in the background, which is very San Diego. And I 35 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: wanted to know that how the first week ago and 36 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: how the energy was, how the bargaining had gone. So 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: perhaps you can give us a bargaining update because we 38 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: haven't really talked about that yet. Yeah, I can do 39 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: the bargaining update. I think that you see has really 40 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: been attempting to avoid us at the bargaining table, and 41 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: I think that we're are. Oh, we are constantly finding 42 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: new ways to put a pressure on them, both through 43 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: our bargaining strategy and through our on the ground organizing 44 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: at actions to get them to meet us in a 45 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: good faith the UM. Throughout the past year or more 46 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: of bargaining, depending on which of the bargaining units you're 47 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: talking about, they have done a numerous unfair labor practices 48 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: and other forms of illegal and unlawful behavior in bargaining 49 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: that have I just generally been stopping us from reaching 50 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: a fair agreement. And UM. We're on strike to show 51 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: them that we're serious about UM, or to not even 52 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: to show them, but to apply the pressure necessary to 53 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: get them to meet that's in good faith UM. In 54 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: the past week, we have made a fair amount of 55 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: progress on many non economic articles from various of the 56 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: bargaining units. Non economic economic is a blurry a distinction 57 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: that we think about UM in terms of bargaining and UM. 58 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: And another thing on everyone's minds is wages, and there 59 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: you see has still not moved from their entirely unreasonable 60 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: a position from more than a month ago. For UH, 61 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: the Student Researcher Union and the other bargaining units are 62 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: very are in a similar vote. So what's say, what's 63 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: the position right now, uh, there a position is a 64 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: seven percent in the first year, a three percent in 65 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: all the years afterwards, which is not that doesn't even 66 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: encount for inflation. That's crazy increase cost like and incredibly 67 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: unaffordable cost of living. It's basically a pay cut. Yeah, okay, Uh, 68 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: So what are those non economic issues where you've had 69 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: most success? Do you want to talk about those two? Yeah? 70 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: I mean there's a bunch. I think one of the 71 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: big ones where we've shown a lot of success, and 72 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: there's one that actually we've made some progress today. Um, 73 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: there's a lot. I think there's things that make our 74 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: union stronger, union access and union A security. We've reached 75 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: a tentative agreement on for most of the bargaining units 76 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure um uh for working current injury and illness. 77 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: This is something that actually that you see was not 78 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: a budgeting on for a really long time for student 79 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: researchers that now we're hoping that we can actually reach 80 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: an agreement soon about UM and we're thinking that's likely 81 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: a personal a time off as another one that up 82 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: until now a graduate student researchers I didn't have a 83 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: legal right to take days off work, and now you 84 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: see has moved to twelve days a year, which does 85 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: this start. We don't think it's good enough, but oh, 86 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: we're going to see if they moved to UH four 87 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: is a current plant, and as a bunch of other 88 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: smaller ones, like there's the access needs access needs article, 89 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: there's UM I can't remember all of them off top 90 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 1: of my head. There's a bunch in that sort of 91 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: vein that we've made a lot of progress on UM 92 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: and and yeah, there's also some economic ones that we've 93 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: made at some progress on, like a transit is a 94 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: big one. But there's a lot of things and I'm 95 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: not sure how to summarize at all, but yeah, it's 96 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: very complicated, but there's a lot of small things, small 97 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: things that's good. Yeah, so maybe you could tell that 98 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: to get you to needed like you had a really 99 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: good vibe with your picket line. Yeah, totally talk about 100 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: what it's been like for a week. Yeah, I mean so, 101 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: I think the week just started off very strong. So 102 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: we had great numbers on day one and at day 103 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: one we did a massive, massive rally with everyone on 104 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: campus who was striking coming right a little way now, Gonzalez, 105 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: the head of the California Federation of Labor talk there. 106 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: It was like extremely electric and I think for a 107 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: lot of people for the first time they saw just 108 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: how many people were in this together with them, and 109 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: that just you know, set the tone like we're doing 110 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: something really radical. We're fighting for radical change, but we're 111 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: all doing it in mass altogether. And and my picket 112 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: line especially, or I'm sure this is true many picket lines, 113 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: but we've developed a very strong sense of community. We 114 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: do like communal meals that are cooked in like five 115 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: instant pods outside on the picket line. Um, we've done 116 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: you know, like various chill events like karaoke and trivia 117 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: and stuff like that, but we also get together and 118 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: do some you know, really militant actions. We shut down 119 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: a conference yesterday. We've like picketed in intersections and done 120 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: all kinds of stuff and it's just really cool to see. Yeah, 121 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: maybe we can talk about some of the action zing 122 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: because I think and a lot of people in this 123 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: country still maybe have never seen or been involved in 124 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: a labor action themselves, and certainly they don't know what 125 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: it looks like at a university, which is a different 126 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: place from you know, a factory. Or something. So what 127 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:23,559 Speaker 1: have you been doing when you've been getting up to you? Yeah, 128 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: I mean the base level thing is we just pick 129 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: it in front of our buildings, so we have a 130 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: picket line, we encourage people not to cross and in 131 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: the hope of disrupting the natural flow of university functions. Um, 132 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: but then they are also you know, the university have 133 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: some big events such as conferences, and now we pick 134 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: it outside a conference, and all of a sudden, avery 135 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: at the conference has to be really uncomfortable crossing our 136 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: picket line. And you know, if we're really loud, then 137 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: it's hard for them to do the regular conferencee things 138 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: and that kind of stuff. Yeah, I like that. I 139 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: want to talk a little bit about like what make 140 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: strike to work generally, solidarity right between people on strike 141 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: and people outside. So like we had somewhere from the 142 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: teamsters talking and like I covered the teams to strike 143 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: last year, did you want me the teams to his 144 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: refuge workers are on strike and Chula Vista and it 145 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: was great. People were bringing them food every day. So 146 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: have you seen much of that, like from other unions 147 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: or just from the community. Absolutely, yeah. I one of 148 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: the big community supports is undergrad support UM have I 149 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,119 Speaker 1: pickt line, Like undergrads are just coming by all the time. 150 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: They just drop off some food. They say, just wanted 151 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: to give this to you, and then they just leave. 152 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: They just like want to help us out. It's super 153 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: cute and it is very uplifting for all of us. 154 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: And yeah, you wanna. Yeah, I think also a support 155 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: from other unions and from UM other members of the 156 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: labor movement has been really important. Like one of the 157 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: really big ones is the Teamsters UM, like all of 158 00:08:52,960 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: them UM sanctioned our strike, which means that they, uh, 159 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: they've instructed all of their unionized workers to not across 160 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: our picket line. This means that tons of UPS drivers, 161 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: tons of a Teamsters organized workers have been turning around 162 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: other vehicles when they reach our picket lines. And yeah, 163 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: has been really inspiring to see the San Diego imperial 164 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: A County's Labor Federation agreed to to cut the check 165 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: for anyone experiencing acute hardship during the strike, which is 166 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: incredible and I think it really makes us feel very 167 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: strong when we have the entirety of the entirety of 168 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: the labor movement at our back. Yeah, it's good to see, right, like, 169 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: especially um, if we like I'm a historian, and I 170 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: definitely spent eight years a lot of money here in history. 171 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: And like when we see students who workers together, that's 172 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: when we see change, right like especially in you know, 173 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: the last fifty seventy years whatever, And so that's, yeah, 174 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: that's very impressive. I wonder, like, I'm sure it hasn't 175 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: all been like rainbows and unicorns. Like someone's talked today 176 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: about a factory member who drove the car through a 177 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: picket line, and what the fund is happening with that? 178 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 1: Can you You cannot name the person if you don't 179 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,719 Speaker 1: want to, Like, I haven't heard about that situation. There's 180 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: a lot going on every day. I know there was 181 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 1: one motorcycle that nearly drove through our line. Who were 182 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: pretty sure as an abusive advisor, We're not entirely sure. Um, 183 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: there's some good news. Actually, one piece of good news 184 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: is that we members of the picket line that I'm 185 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: at basically all engineers. And I mean I keep in 186 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: mind here that I've been told by a lot of 187 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,479 Speaker 1: other workers in higher education they you can't organize engineers. 188 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: And and this morning, I think over a hundred of 189 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: us marched on the chair of the Material Science a 190 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: department and she agreed to send a letter to the 191 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 1: chancellor in support of our demands, and then she did it. 192 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: That's great, which is awesome, But there's also some crazy 193 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: stuff happening. There are some people that are really infuriated, 194 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: um when they see the pick of line. Those people 195 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: we try to de escalate and let through. But overall, 196 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: I think you see strategy and the community strategy at 197 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: large too. To overcome our strike is a lot of 198 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:43,239 Speaker 1: background noise. UM. I think that the university's main response 199 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: has not been to crush our strike, though there has 200 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: been some retaliatory behavior from some advisors. The main thing 201 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: is that they just try to ignore it and act 202 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: like it's not happening. And I mean, we all here 203 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: know that it is happening. I feel like everyone on 204 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: our campus at this point knows that it is happening. Um. 205 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: But yeah, that's sort of their approach, and I think 206 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,319 Speaker 1: that's the biggest way that they try at a union 207 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: bust is they don't meet with us, they don't treat 208 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: us fairly, and they don't and they act like we 209 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: don't exist. Yeah, that that's difficult and it'll I'm sure, 210 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: only get harder. Do you know if people are facing 211 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: like I know people have talked about like potential academic 212 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: difficulties and sort of academic consequences I guess for striking, 213 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: which is obviously a concern when your academic labor and 214 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,559 Speaker 1: your labor for the university is sometimes sort of blurry 215 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: or like people feel like their relationship is something that 216 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,839 Speaker 1: goes beyond their relationship with the university. Yeah, totally. So 217 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: there's kind of two aspects to this. There are some 218 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: illegal things that people in the university have tried, such 219 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: as UM. For example, many of us work as graduate 220 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: student researchers. UM. We do research, it is our job. 221 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: But because we're also students, we are enrolled course credits 222 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: for these research and you know, they have said that, oh, 223 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: if you don't do your research, you're going to fail 224 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: these course credits, which is completely ridiculous, completely illegal because 225 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: this is a hundred percent over life with our labor, 226 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: and we are completely legally protected in our right to 227 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: strike UM. But another aspect of this is that many 228 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:22,719 Speaker 1: many of us are students who are taking very regular classes. Uh, 229 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: and many of these classes are still continuing and so 230 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:28,839 Speaker 1: for these students who are concerned about their grades in 231 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: these classes, you know, this has had to you know 232 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: take them away from the picket line at times to 233 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: go to these classes. But we've tried to accommodate that 234 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: as best as we can. UM. For example, in our 235 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: picket line, we've had you know, we do a lot 236 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 1: of milited actions, but we need time to rest. And 237 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: during this rest time, we encourage people to you know, 238 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: work on their coursework together. We have this great community, 239 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: let's use it. Let's use it to you know, get 240 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,599 Speaker 1: their course work done, and so we can all be 241 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: on the picket line as long as we possibly can. 242 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: That's great. Yeah, and it feels pretty nice to hear 243 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: its week. Okay. So in terms of like the hard ships, 244 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: I'm guessing the longer year at the more difficult, it 245 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,839 Speaker 1: will get right and and folks will obviously like start 246 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: to feel more economic hardship. And so I want to know, 247 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: like I guess how you're preparing, and then I'd like 248 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: to know how people can help too, if there's a 249 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: place they can donate or show other support. Yeah. I 250 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: think when it comes to economic hardship, UM, right now, 251 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: we're not even entirely sure whether the university is withholding pay. 252 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: They have not sent out at testation forms. We think 253 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: that they might at some point soon, but of course, 254 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: UM at the end of the day, that's up to 255 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: the university to decide. Um if or when they do, 256 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: lots of people will face if a fair amount of 257 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: economic hardship. The u a W does have a strike fund, 258 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: so all out of the u a W members on 259 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: across all the u c s in our union, if 260 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: they show up for enough shifts on the pick a line, 261 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: they are entitled to a four hundred dollars a week, which, 262 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: mind you, is not enough too. It's not a comfortable wage, 263 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: but it's enough to scrape by. Yeah. Do you know, 264 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: for instance, what someone living in grad student housing like 265 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: well Mirama will be paying in rent in a month. 266 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: Just to give people a sense of ill expense to yeah, 267 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: I can tell you my experience. So I live in 268 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: Nouveau East on Campus and I pay about thousand dollars 269 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: in rent. But the year that I I started here, 270 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: just after I started, they hiked the rent buy up 271 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: to thirty five percent in some units as an example. Um, 272 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: even though I pay a thousand dollars in rent in 273 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: my two bedroom apartment. The other bedroom is which you know, 274 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: it's crazy. And I think if anyone is interested in 275 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: supporting the workers on strike, especially if we do have 276 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: our pay with held, I would recommend you give to 277 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: the Strike Hardship Fund. This is something that disperses to 278 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: any striker that's facing any any form of acute hardship, 279 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: no questions asked. And this is if you're interested in giving, 280 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: you can go to the website fair you see now 281 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: dot or slash a support and that's where you can 282 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: give to the Hardship Fund. And I do recommend you 283 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: do UM. And that's the way that we're dealing with 284 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: economic hardship, okay in those situations. Nice. One more thing 285 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask about, and just from my own 286 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: experience as an international student, was that, like, your situation 287 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: is extremely fucking precarious and you can lose your visa 288 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: for almost any reason. I wonder how international students are 289 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: dealing with this, and like how the Union is helping 290 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: to protect them. Yeah, so international students are actually quite 291 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: protected in the strike. UM. They have the same legal 292 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: protection domestic students do. And so namely, none of them 293 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 1: can be fired for this. Yeah, and because their visa 294 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: is tied to their employment, their visa is also safe. Okay, yeah, 295 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: nicely has that Do you think people still feel that 296 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: sense of precarity, like, because like just to give an example, Um, 297 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: I I was in real visa trouble and like that 298 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: was extremely petrifying for me. Right, Like, so I'm sure 299 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 1: people I'm just interested to know like if they feel 300 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: that sense sort of they feel like protected. Yeah, I 301 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: mean absolutely, it is. It is tough in many ways. 302 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: Like I know one person next week instead of being 303 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: on the picket line, he has to go back to 304 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: the UK to renew his visa and that he's all 305 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: he's very unhappy about this. He actously had the picket 306 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: line at everyone. But yeah, it is what it is. 307 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: And um on top of that, many international students come 308 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: from cultures where such activities are not as common. They 309 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: are very unsure about joining it. But like for the 310 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: last few years, we have been deeply committed to a 311 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: movement of all workers, and so we organize every single 312 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: person we can, whether they are domestic, international, we are 313 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: all on strike together right now. Yeah, that's very cool. Yeah, 314 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: so this is the end of week one, hopefully hope 315 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: you guys get what you want? And what do you 316 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: have planned for next week? It's Thanksgiving? Yeah, I mean, 317 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: so we have three days next week before thanks Saving break, 318 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: and I think we are going to go all out 319 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: for those three days. Everybody's gonna use all the energy 320 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 1: they have and then have a cool break anything. Yeah, 321 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: I think that's the plan. We're gonna make this university 322 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: regret not meeting us in good faith? Mega? All right, 323 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: where can people do? Have? Flick social media for the strike? 324 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: Social media for yourselves or your unions probably one of 325 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: the easiest places as you can go to either of 326 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: the Twitter accounts for either of the student worker unions, 327 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: like those are the ones that a tweet the most things. 328 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: So you can either go to Twitter dot com slash 329 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: s r u u A W or two uh Twitter again, 330 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: uh you a W to eight six five, And that's 331 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: where we do most of our communications. Nice. Yeah, And 332 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: if anyone wants any info at all, the the best 333 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,959 Speaker 1: source of all is just fair you see now dot org. Okay, 334 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: nice outstanding, Thank you very much, guys. So it was 335 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: very good. Hey Garrison, here, I'm gonna be giving a 336 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: few updates on some of the types of stories that 337 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: I've covered on the show the past couple of months, 338 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 1: And I think I'll start by talking about Port Townsend. 339 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: So if you remember, from the beginning of September, we 340 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: put out an episode talking about this wave of transphobic 341 00:19:54,960 --> 00:20:00,400 Speaker 1: hate and organizing in response to this non incident at 342 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: a y m c A in the Olympic Peninsula, and 343 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:10,360 Speaker 1: this spawned this massive organizing effort for these transphobic rallies 344 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: led by far right people and by turfs, appearances on 345 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson, Fox News, all of all of this stuff, um, 346 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: And we were putting this episode out right before a large, 347 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: well what seemed to be a large upcoming rally on 348 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: September the third. There was not like actual like national 349 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: socialist fascists coming in from out of state to to 350 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: to join in on this, a lot of a lot 351 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: of kind of local turfs and far right people, and 352 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: the rally turned out to be kind of a bust. Uh, 353 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: So that's some good news. They did not get nearly 354 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: as many numbers as they were expecting, and the community 355 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: response was very very strong, So a lot of people 356 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: coming out in support of trans rights and coming out 357 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: in support of trans people. Uh. Um, so that was 358 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: that was a nice thing to hear. I mean, and 359 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: across across the Pacific Northwest, there's actually been this wave 360 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 1: of of of like turf like trans exclusionary radical feminist, 361 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: like that term is kind of a misnomer, but there's 362 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: been a wave of of of kind of these events 363 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: and protests, well not protests, but these events and uh, 364 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 1: these attempts at protests I guess by a few like 365 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: turf influencers. They've been going all around all around the 366 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: Pacific Northwest and Portland, UM, and a whole bunch of 367 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 1: cities up in Washington, and similarly, they have been met 368 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: with a pretty strong resistance, uh, a lot of local 369 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: people showing up and saying no, we're not going to 370 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: tolerate this kind of stuff, accented by the occasional pie 371 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: throwne in one's face. So that's the kind of state 372 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: of of of some of the anti trans organizing here 373 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,120 Speaker 1: inside the Pacific Northwest. And I wanted to start by 374 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: talking about the story and the successful counter organizing and 375 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: support of trans people. Um. Mostly because of the mass 376 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: shooting a few days ago inside Colorado Springs and because 377 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: the other other thing I spent a lot of this 378 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: summer covering was this uptick in queer exterminationist rhetoric, and 379 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: that type of rhetoric results in attacks like what happened 380 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: a few days ago at queer clubs and queer havens 381 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 1: and queer gathering spaces. And I I think some of 382 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: the team was gonna talk about this probably sometime in 383 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: the future, will probably do something on it, but it's 384 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: still just so current and full of frustration and raw Payne. 385 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: And the other thing we have talked about on the 386 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: show that this year is efforts from groups like the 387 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: unforc John Brown Gun Club and people who are willing 388 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: to show up armed to defend queer events and queer spaces, 389 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: and the use fullness of that is demonstrated here. And 390 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: the LM Fork John Brown Gun Club has continued to 391 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: do good work in showing up two places that they 392 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: were invited to to help hopefully help prevent things like 393 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: what happened inside Colorado Springs. And then of course in 394 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,919 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs, it wasn't the police that took down the gunmen. 395 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: It was queer people from inside the place who were 396 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,120 Speaker 1: unarmed who did the job of actually having to protect 397 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: fellow queer people and themselves. And similarly, since I was 398 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: talking about the John John Brown gun club in Elm Fork, 399 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: the other thing that I've covered um is relating to 400 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: those protests is the group Protect Texas Kids, read by 401 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: the self proclaimed Christian fascist Kelly Needered. She is among 402 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: the wave of far right people that are currently being 403 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: replatformed on Twitter. And it's not it's not just bad 404 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: because they have a platform. And this the specific thing 405 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,200 Speaker 1: I've talked about with Kelly Needert is that they use 406 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: platforms like Twitter not just as a soapbox, but also 407 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: as a place to actually organize these types of queer 408 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: exterminationist events. This is where they actually do a lot 409 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 1: of the public organizing and get people to come out. 410 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,199 Speaker 1: The same thing with Limbs of TikTok. It's not just 411 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: it's not just like an amplifier. It's a place that 412 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: they actually organize these types of hate campaigns, and lots 413 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 1: of them are going are getting back on these massive platforms, 414 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: are getting a lot of cliques. Elon Musk is even 415 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: interacting with some of these people. Um Elon Musk has 416 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: interacted with Limbs of TikTok inside her mentions just driving 417 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 1: massive engagement. We talked about Kanye West anti semitism last 418 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: month and he has continued to make pretty egregious statements 419 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: UM that are that are very much in the line 420 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: with very typical anti semitism, doing a lot of the 421 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: same tropes. He's been dropped by a lot of a 422 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: lot of com and these who were working with him UM. 423 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 1: Just a few days ago he was seen talking with 424 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: white nationalist Nick Fuentes from our Cowboy episodes UM and 425 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: also with Milo Napolis UM. So just paddling around with 426 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: openly fascist far right influencers UM and continuing to make 427 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: horrible statements. He is also back to posting on Twitter. 428 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: We're using a massive and in this case it is 429 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: a massive amplifier of anti Semitic rhetoric UM and he 430 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 1: is he is back and posting as of this morning. 431 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,199 Speaker 1: So that's kind of the state of things that have covered. 432 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,479 Speaker 1: We got good news with the Port Townsend thing and 433 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: how queer people have been successful in in in combating 434 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: anti trans and antiqueer organizing UM across the Pacific Northwest. 435 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: We have stuff in Texas with the un Forked John 436 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: Bround Gun Club continuing continuing to do that crucial work. Um, 437 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: even though some of the ashists who are organizing these 438 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: events are getting replatformed. But the queer extermination as rhetoric 439 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: has not gone away. It's only become a whole lot 440 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: more visceral. And that's the that's the topics I wanted 441 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: to give updates on. I'm sure we'll I'm sure we'll 442 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: talk more about, you know, how to various efforts for 443 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 1: community defense like within the community, and how queer people 444 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 1: can approach that. Um. But yeah, anyway, that's my that's 445 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: that's my update. For our next update, let's take a 446 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,160 Speaker 1: look at what happened in the mid tum of elections. 447 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: Because the American election system is run by a troup 448 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: of volunteer clowns, we still do not know the exact 449 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: margin of Republican victory in the House. What we can 450 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: confirms the Republicans are in fact going to gain a 451 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: House majority. It is also going to be a very 452 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: very small majority. As as we discussed in our last 453 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: sort of election episode, this is basically the Chaos Bode configuration. 454 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: The product of this is that Mergerya to Other Green 455 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,199 Speaker 1: and her sort of tidy cohort a weird fascists are 456 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: going to be able to extract a bunch of concessions 457 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: on the Republican Party. And obviously this is only to 458 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: the extent that these people actually disagree about stuff. Which 459 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: it is true that a lot of the sort of 460 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,360 Speaker 1: mainstream of the Republican Party has gone unbelievably far right. 461 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: It's also true that a lot of the party leadership 462 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 1: doesn't like Mrdery tather Green and you know, you know, 463 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: the Republican Party is still facing essentially an internal soil 464 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: war um. Mr McConnell has managed to hold off a 465 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: power for challenge by Rick Scott, who was at the 466 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: head of the RTNC, which is really fun. I don't 467 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: know why Rick Scott thought this was going to work 468 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: for him. Like Rick Scott are arguably Rick Scott is 469 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 1: a single, like individually responsible for the Republicans losing the 470 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: election because he's completely screwed up everything. He was a 471 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 1: typic to deal with the R and C and like 472 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: poured a bunch of money into weird targeted like Twitter 473 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,400 Speaker 1: ad campaigns that just did not work at all. But 474 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: you know what, we we we still don't know if 475 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: if Kevin McCarthy has enough like votes to become a 476 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: Speaker of the House. Every everything is essentially just complete chaos. 477 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: You know, we we we've we've also seen our sort 478 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: of first quote unquote concession that's been sort of wrung 479 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: out of this new House majority, which is that they're 480 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: going to do an investigation into Hunter Biden's laptop, which 481 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: I genuinely I have been struggling to find a reason 482 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: for any single person who is not completely Fox News 483 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: brain pilled to give a single ship about the Hunter 484 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: Biden's laptop story, like since it started. I don't know 485 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 1: why anyone is expected to care about this, And I, 486 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: you know, I think the fact that the Republicans the 487 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: first thing they're doing upon retaking the House is doing 488 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: an investigation into this stupid laptop is an incredible side 489 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 1: of just how out of touch these people are with 490 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: just anything even remotely or tenentially related to reality. And 491 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: I think that this is in some sense of explanation 492 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: of how the Democrats like miraculously somehow seemed to have 493 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: managed to win a like to to gain an additional 494 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: Senate seats in a in a in a in an 495 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 1: off your mid term election. I so, right right now, 496 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 1: the Democrats have technically gained Walgist The technically have gained majority. 497 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: The question basically is whether it's going to be a 498 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: fifty or fifty one majority, pending the sort of runoff 499 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: in Georgia between Warcock and herschel Walker. I don't know 500 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: who knows what's going to happen there. Herschel Walker's running 501 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: ads about Leah Thomas. So hopefully Leah Thomas fucking does 502 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: the reaper thing and claims another mainstream American political figure 503 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: here up. But okay, so what what what does this 504 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: actually mean in terms of us? Because you know, even 505 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 1: if the Democrats more accuracy somehow, what held the house? Right? No, nothing, 506 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: nothing really good was going to be happening. It looks 507 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: like there's been a sort of deal worked out between 508 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 1: the Democrats and some of the some of the modern 509 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: ish wing of the Republican Party to get a vote 510 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: on a bill that will legalize gay marriage and also 511 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: legalize interracial marriage, although a lot of fucking Republicans voted 512 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: against that, which is, you know, not a great sign. 513 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: But but again, I mean the the thing that you know, 514 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: you can sort of see here, right, gay marriage unbelievably popular. 515 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 1: A lot of Republicans still voting against it. And again 516 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 1: that this this is because you know, insofar as the 517 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: two things we can learn from this election, one is 518 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: that the far right evangelical base that the Republicans have 519 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: been building really since the eighties is not a majority 520 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 1: of the US. It's not even close to a majority 521 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: of the US. It is you know, it's it's it's 522 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: it's controlled by a small group of of like, you know, 523 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: unbelievably reactionary activists, and these people are completely out of 524 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 1: touch with what normal people in the US like. And 525 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: you know, this has this has positives and downsides, right, 526 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: It with downsides that in places where the Republicans gain control, 527 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: they're able to impose unbelievably far right agendas, are able 528 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: to impose massive anti trans agendas, and you know that 529 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: that that's been having real consequences, and especially a state 530 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 1: legislators that they control. But it also means that it 531 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 1: limits the damage Republicans are able to do because again, 532 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: like people don't actually like their stuff because it sucks. 533 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: The other thing that's very important about this is that 534 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 1: again legislatively, nothing is going to happen until and this 535 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 1: means that as a terre of struggle. No matter what 536 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: you sort of ideologically believe about, you know what, whether 537 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: whether or not we should be contesting elections as a 538 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: terrate of struggle, the electoral seat is debt. Right. There 539 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: is very little, if anything that even conceivably could be 540 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: done there. If you want anything to change in the 541 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: next two years, you're going to have to be operating 542 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,959 Speaker 1: outside of the electoral scene, right. And this isn't This 543 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: is an argument we've been making sort of strategically and surgically, 544 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: ideologically and morally for a long time now. This is 545 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: part of why we talk about dual power constantly. This 546 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: is part of why we talk about the cons of 547 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: community organizing that are necessaries, is why we talk about 548 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: serve community self defense organizing. But this, this specific configuration 549 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: of of the sort of American system is one you know, 550 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: it's it's it's it's, it's, it's it's it's a pure 551 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: deadlock infiguration. Nothing is going to happen. The only thing 552 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 1: that can possibly happen is stuff that we do. And 553 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: you know there is stuff that we need to do. Right. 554 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 1: If you want to stop instead of rolling Republican chanitis 555 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: side against chance people, if you want to stop them 556 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: from inciting more mass shootings. You know, if if we want, 557 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 1: if we if if you want to stop the sort 558 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: of rolling bipartisan wave of mass clearings of cancer ameless people, 559 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: if we want to contain, if you want to actually 560 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: deal with you know, the sort of looming effort pressed 561 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: a horror of American border fascism. We're gonna have to 562 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: do it ourselves. Because even in a world in which 563 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: it was possible to get Washing DC to give a 564 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: single ship about any of this, and mostly it's not. 565 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: Mostly people in Washington, d C. Vote every single time 566 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: to make this ship worse. But even in that world, right, 567 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: nothing is going to come out of there. All all 568 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: that is going to be happening in the House and 569 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:50,880 Speaker 1: these Senates is a bunch of fights over the dead 570 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: ceiling and in a bunch of increasingly bizarre investing investigations 571 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: out of the Republican House. So this is the time 572 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: to take back the streets. This is the time to 573 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: before me tennants unions. Is the time to be doing 574 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: community self defense work. This is the kind of This 575 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: is the time to be doing the kind of unglamorous 576 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,279 Speaker 1: work that everyone sort of forgets about when the sort 577 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: of shiny midterms shows up. But but you know, but 578 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: that that is the stuff that actually genuinely is going 579 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: to make things change in this country. Things have to change. 580 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: We we we cannot continue to be going on on 581 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: the path that we are right. We cannot. We cannot 582 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 1: allow there to be more mass shootings. We cannot allow 583 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,879 Speaker 1: Republicans to continue to exterminate trans people. We cannot let 584 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: this happen. We're going to have to go fight, and 585 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: we are going to have to do it ourselves, and 586 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 1: we are going to do it alone because there is 587 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: no help coming from the top. There never was any 588 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: help coming from there, and even if there had been 589 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 1: a will, there is now no longer away. It could 590 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,279 Speaker 1: Happen Here is the production of cool Zone Media. Well 591 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:02,040 Speaker 1: More podcast from cool Zone Media. Visit our website cool 592 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: zone media dot com, or check us out on the 593 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 594 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 1: to podcasts. You can find sources for It Could Happen here, 595 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 1: updated monthly at cool zone Media dot com slash sources. 596 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:14,280 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.