1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: Okay, hello, and welcome to It could Happen Here a podcast. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: It is about today about labor organizing and about what 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: happens after a strike in a labor organization. I'm joined 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: I'm James, if you hadn't guessed, and I'm joined by 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: several people from the UCSD Dollar Lunch Club. We're going 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: to talk about the UC strike and we're going to 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: talk about mutual aid organizing in the wake of the strike. 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: If you would like to introduce yourselves, that would be great. 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: I'm Alex. I use she they pronounce, I'm Matt and 10 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: I use he him. Hi. Everyone, my name is Maria. 11 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: I am a PhD student at UCSD, and I use 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: she her pronounce I'm anna and I use pronounce amazing. 13 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: Thank you very much, guys. So I think people probably 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: haven't heard much from us about the uc strike since 15 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: we last sort of had some episodes around December and January, 16 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: and obviously it's been a couple of months since then. 17 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: So the resolution of that strike was kind of contentious, right, 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: and a lot of the organizing that you guys have 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: been doing came out of a campaign to vote no 20 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: on the I guess the ballot after the strike right 21 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: to vote no, and the tentative agreement, which ultimately didn't succeed. 22 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: Right the tentative agreement, there was a yes vote, and 23 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: I wonder if you could all explain kind of like, 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: it's obvious how the yes vote was organized right within 25 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: the structure of a union which which exists, to which 26 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: I had obviously made disagreement with the you see in 27 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: this case, and then it's a job of the people 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: who made that agreement to then get a yes vote 29 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: on that agreement. But can you explain a little bit 30 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: about how the no vote campaign came together, and maybe 31 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: if someone could also explain some of the substantive issues 32 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: that you felt weren't satisfactory resolved in that tentative agreement. Yeah, 33 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: the no vote was the end of a very long 34 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: process of us feeling like the bargaining team was making 35 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: progressively worse and worse decisions and basically using submission as 36 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: a tactic to improve gains in bargaining. We felt like 37 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: that was not a great tactic. So the upshot of 38 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: the no vote campaign was that fundamentally we felt that 39 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: the bargaining team had not fought hard enough. They had 40 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 1: made repeated sacrifices of our core demands, uh drastically cutting 41 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: our fifty four thousand U wage demands our COLA, and 42 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: that we felt, particularly since it was during the winter 43 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: break and we had its home time to you know, 44 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: stretch it out a little bit further, that if we 45 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: had gone back to the bargaining table at that point, 46 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: that we would have been able to recoup some of 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: those demands. I don't think there was like a consensus 48 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: that it was like obvious that uh, like union resources 49 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: would exclusively be used for yes vote stuff. Hi, maybe partially, 50 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: but that was one part of like the major conflict 51 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: was that like when some of us were trying to 52 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: do like a text banking campaign for like, uh no 53 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: vote stuff. I know of at least one person who 54 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: like feared for their career because, like their colleague was like, 55 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:49,119 Speaker 1: you're misusing like personally I personal information that like this 56 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: isn't why people like agreed to give it to the union, 57 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: and like you can't just take it and use it 58 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: for like, you know, campaigning for your no vote stuff. 59 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: But then we're like, this is for a union purpose, 60 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: why can't we like contact people on the same topic 61 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: that all of us are getting a bajillion mass texts 62 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: about UM and so, like, I do think that was 63 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: also a point of contention within that, like, like the 64 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: union does not share resources amongst like UM, amongst people 65 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: who are campaigning for different sides of like ballad issues, 66 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: right yeah, yeah, So it wasn't like there wasn't like 67 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 1: a like an open channel where like people could have 68 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: an open discussion at least using the text banking function 69 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: at least. Yeah, we we have been told UM that 70 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: in the event that a varguing team did not have 71 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: an unanimous vote in favor of taing the agreement, that 72 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: both I would have the opportunity to use union resources 73 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: learned to campaign for their their preference, and that that 74 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: didn't turn actually the case. Yeah, that's that's upsetting. And 75 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: so how did you organize because it was it wasn't 76 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: like the nor vote campaign is only the four people here, right, 77 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: Like it was a very substantive campaign that the large 78 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: number of people supported and voted for. It wasn't like 79 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: this is a kind of ninety nine percent yes situations. 80 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: How did you all organize for the nervote campaign when 81 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: you didn't have access to those resources? It was a 82 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: pretty distributed network of for instance, signal chats, so a 83 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: lot of signal what'sapp discord groups, and it was it 84 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: was very grassroots. So if you knew someone in one 85 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: of those groups, they would add you m yeah, I'm 86 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: sure Matt and Allison have more to add. I think 87 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: they were in some very large group chats. Yes, and 88 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: those group chats on were both on the UC San 89 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: Diego campus as well as statewide, so you know, this 90 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: wasn't just something that UC San Diego was voting on, right, 91 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: this was all of the California campuses. We also had 92 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: a strike Center which involved in towards the end of 93 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: our active picketing before winter break, a number of people 94 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: from all different departments migrated from their pickets. Who was 95 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: more central location, And although it was not synonymous with 96 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: and it was unofficially kind of seen as the dissidents side, 97 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: the vast majority of people who participated in the strike 98 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: center were ended up being no voters when the time came. 99 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: I think Anna is pretty right in saying that a 100 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: lot of the organization was like a distributed, decentralized thing 101 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: across signal chats. Like in my experience, there was, for example, 102 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: the Disability Justice Coalition who've done a lot on you know, 103 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: accommodations and disability rights and things like that, and so 104 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: they were approaching things from different angles than other chats 105 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: that were like you know, doing like oh, here is 106 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: a list of emails from you know, UCI of grad 107 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: students in this department. Please feel free to email it. 108 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: And you know, like so there was like a diversity 109 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: of tactics there, if that makes sense. So it was 110 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: like a lot of like petitioning emails, talking one on 111 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: one with people, so me personally, and several people that 112 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: I know like set up meetings with like their labmates 113 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: and just be like, hey, how are you doing, so 114 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: have you heard of what's going on? Things like that, 115 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: which I think are very normal union things to do. 116 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: I did find that like official, like not maybe not official, 117 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: but in my department we had two people kind of 118 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: take up like union liaison roles, and they tended to 119 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: be more like yes voters rather than no voters. And 120 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: I found that their form of communication to us never 121 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: had that kind of like reaching out to other people. 122 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: They would say like, hey, there's a campus oc happening 123 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: at five pm, but they wouldn't reach out to members 124 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: of the department to get everyone's opinion until like week three, 125 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: week four of the strike. So you know, I think 126 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: what NO Voters did excel at was reaching out to 127 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: people individually and like actually like going out two different labs, 128 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: two different departments and talking with people like either one 129 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: on one or within small groups. So me personally as 130 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: well as another member of the Dollar Lunch Club actually 131 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: canvassed around Graduate Housing. So we during the ratification vote, 132 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: we were literally like holding stacks of paper and saying like, hey, 133 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: this is kind of the layout of what you'll be 134 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: paid for each month that the union, like the UAW 135 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: is not showing you, Like if you're in you know, 136 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: in this year, you're going to be getting a barely 137 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: like two hundred dollars raise for these several months. That 138 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: kind of thing, which is like very you know, that 139 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 1: information just was not made accessible or made clear by 140 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: the UAWN. For me, that was purposefully done. At least 141 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: in my opinion, that was purposefully done. So I think 142 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: the diversity of tactics there that the NO voters incorporated, 143 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: and it was only after we started canvassing around Graduate 144 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,199 Speaker 1: Housing that we started seeing, yes, voters also canvassing around 145 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,079 Speaker 1: graduate housing and tearing down the posters that we had 146 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: put on other people's doors. Yeah, so it got contentious. 147 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: But I think because we didn't have those official resources 148 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: that the uaw usually or at least our chapter of 149 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:10,079 Speaker 1: the uaw usually can depend on, such as like, oh, 150 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: an official mailing list, and then we'll just like send 151 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: you or basically spam you a bunch of updates. We 152 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: had to work around that by doing more personal meetings by, 153 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,439 Speaker 1: for example, in the last week of the strike, facilitating 154 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: group lunches right where multiple departments would come together, bring food, 155 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: cook like nine ten insta pots worth of stews for everyone, 156 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: and then that would be an opportunity for me to 157 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: talk to people that I have never talked to in 158 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: my life from like completely different departments and tell them like, hey, 159 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: I don't think this is looking really good for us, 160 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: especially like we have very different conditions, very different working conditions, 161 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: and just overall you may be part of the SRU, 162 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: I'm part of two eight six five, here's how we 163 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: should talk. So again, that was because the UAWU was 164 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: not utilizing those avenues of getting people to talk to 165 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: each other. So I'm not sure I kind of went 166 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: off topic, but I wanted to like really hammer home 167 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: that because we didn't have all those resources, we had 168 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,079 Speaker 1: to rely on kind of these like how should they say, 169 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: like very distributed, piecemeal strategies of like oh well let's 170 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: do something here. This isn't going to work for this department. 171 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: Let's do that for this department. You know, if that 172 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: makes sense. It does. I think it's really cool because 173 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: I think that's how there's a lot of people can 174 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: learn if they're interested in organizing their own workplaces, right, 175 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 1: whether it's organizing for a vote unattenative agreement, or it's 176 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: just organizing to form collective bargaining in the first place, 177 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: or to deal with a particular issue with your bosses, 178 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: whatever it is. Those grassroots things work, especially when you 179 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: don't have this giant, sort of massive union apparatus. I 180 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: wanted to say, like just with like what it feels 181 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: like like to be in like all of the different 182 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: chats um, because like, at at the peak of everything, 183 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:13,079 Speaker 1: I was like probably sending you like a dozen different 184 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: Google docs a day. Um, it was all just like 185 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: like we'll start a different group chat, uh for uh, 186 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: it was all just we'll start a different group chat 187 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: for the specific purpose of like nobody's talking about disability 188 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: justice and so we want to talk about disability justice 189 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: in here, and we've decided this this forum is not good. 190 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: And then somebody in the chat goes like, well, I'm 191 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: with people who are also interested in like furthering this topic, 192 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: and I don't see them any of them doing something 193 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: like you know, um, like analyzing uh, like reanalyzing the 194 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: like housing market data and not just like taking the 195 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 1: u w's word for it, or like like doing a 196 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: little bit of like forensic accounting on the university and 197 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: then posting the Google doc and saying like, hey, I 198 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: did some like forensic accounting on the university. This is 199 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: something that we can use in arguments and also is 200 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: like evidence of X or YU. So yeah, just a 201 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 1: lot of people. It helps. Also it helps to be 202 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: in any union full of grad students. Yeah, you do 203 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: have a lot of useful skills. It can also be 204 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: very taxing organizing that way, Like it can be really 205 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: I know, it's a lot of being on your phone, 206 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,119 Speaker 1: and it's a lot of like your phone vibrating and 207 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: and you're having to switch your focus from some like 208 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: in depth discussion of disability justice to a discussion of 209 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: like why the rent is so damn high in Santa 210 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: Cruz and so like it can be really like, I guess, 211 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm not a person who does well 212 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: with that kind of and so like, I wonder if 213 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: there's anything because this happened a lot in twenty twenty two. 214 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: Right when we look at how that the George Floyd 215 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: uprising or the uprising for back Lives, whatever you want 216 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: to call it, was organized, there was also a whole 217 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: lot of signal chats that I know for a lot 218 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: of people I spoke to, like they just couldn't handle 219 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: the signal chats. So I wonder if there's anything that 220 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: you learned during that organizing process that you would like 221 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: to pass on to people who are interested in organizing 222 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: going forward. One thing I'll say is it became pretty 223 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: clear that, you know, the people who had created the 224 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: signal chats or the watchapp chats were the ones who 225 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: were able to monitor, manipulate, shut it down, which happens 226 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: to our campus pick up leaders organizing chat after the 227 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: no vote had already failed. This was a couple of 228 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: weeks later, during the Joint Council Meeting of the aw 229 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: and UM. You know, the the discourse and the arguments 230 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: that were happening there, while certainly very painful and vociparous, 231 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: were also you know, very connecting to the campus. Lots 232 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: of different departments were on there, so we still got 233 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: a lot of ideas about, you know, what other departments 234 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: were thinking of UM. And with the locking down of 235 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: that chat, which was kind of a unilateral action on 236 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: the part of one of the moderators, that just really 237 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: ended a lot of campus discussion and in my opinion, 238 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: further the divide between the two sides. And the other 239 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: thing that I'll say is, you know, it's really hard 240 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: from an historical perspective, from a communications perspective to see 241 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: like that people who are typing slower are not getting 242 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: their opinions out. People who are in multiple chats are 243 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: getting certain types of information that other people are not getting. 244 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: And my words of advice to any any mass movement 245 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: that is attempting to use these kinds of chat applications 246 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: are one to be sure that you are monitoring for accountability. 247 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: I've realized very late in the game that you could 248 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: actually download UM WhatsApp transcripts UM, so I download the 249 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: entire chancescript just in case you've gotten NEWT screenshots. Also, 250 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: you know people would so why I said this and 251 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: you know to this person, so who know, you know 252 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: somebody took screenshot at out before you deleted it. And 253 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 1: the other thing is you know, to always have backups, 254 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: always have back channels, because there were so many instances 255 00:16:54,240 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: of of you know, moderator lead or UAW sanctions as 256 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: that did not permit discussion. And since you know, we 257 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 1: were talking about that ship in our in our back channels. Yeah, 258 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: I think I think that's that's good advice. Kenneth just 259 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: joined us, and I'm just going to allow them to 260 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 1: introduce themselves before we go forward with discussing these organizing tactics. 261 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: Go ahead, ken Hi, I'm Ken. I am a graduate 262 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: student in the literature department. Um. So I've been organizing 263 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: with Dollar Lunch Club from day like week zero before 264 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: the strike started with um with Anna and yeah and me, 265 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: well that was from day one, that's true. I wanted 266 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 1: to say, UM with respect to the question about like 267 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: uh just on my phone fatigue. UM, I think a 268 00:17:54,840 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 1: large like part of like why we are now like 269 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: this group of us here is Dollar Lunch Club is 270 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: because we were just like we all have on my 271 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 1: phone fatigue and we want to do something actually like 272 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: a community building and like meaningful for like ourselves and 273 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: other grad students. And yeah, getting off the phone and 274 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: making soup together has been very very good for that. Yeah, 275 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: do you want to add to that? Yeah, I was 276 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: going to say the same, like, because I think I 277 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: think phone chats are vital right, Like I'm thinking about 278 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: how important Facebook messenger chats were to the teacher strike 279 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago, So those were like really important, 280 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: and they were really important in our strike as well. 281 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: But I think because of the limitations of like as 282 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: Matt mentioned, someone can just unilaterally say none of you 283 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: can reply only I can post updates, people can like 284 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 1: erase their messages, they can nuke the entire chat, disable it. 285 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 1: All of that. Because of that, it really tells you like, oh, 286 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: you can't just rely on online organizing a lot of 287 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: times you're going to have to do in person organizing, which, again, 288 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: as Alex said, really well part of that is just 289 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: community building. Like to me, what Dollar Lunch Club is, 290 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: it's like a continuation of that community building so that 291 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: we maintain contacts, so that we maintain having conversations with 292 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 1: people that generally we wouldn't really be meeting every day, 293 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 1: or maybe wouldn't even be meeting like like once a quarter, 294 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. You know, There's people that I 295 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: talked to in scripts that I never would have talked 296 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: to if we weren't doing some of these lunches together 297 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: and finding out their situations. So they're in a kind 298 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: of tough situation that I think would be good to 299 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:59,160 Speaker 1: talk about in soon. But I guess what I would 300 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: say as advice for other people who are trying to 301 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: unionize their workplace is to get people kind of engaged, 302 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: you have to start with some of that community building, 303 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,120 Speaker 1: and I think food is one of those really good 304 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: places to start community building. It could be also other 305 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: types of activities. So all throughout the strike, there was 306 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 1: you know, times when people would be like, Hey, let's 307 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: do yoga by the beach, you know, or let's do 308 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: yoga on this picket, or let's do a dance on 309 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 1: this picket, or let's do like a fashion show on 310 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: this picket. Those are all like fun activities that I 311 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: think people who do not want to be at their 312 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 1: workplace all the time, People who just want to catch 313 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: a break. You can engage those like disengaged people that 314 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: are just not paying attention to politics by offering activities 315 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 1: that are important for community building and forgetting to meet 316 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: people that you wouldn't have talked to before. So I 317 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: think that's kind of like vital to a union functioning 318 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,919 Speaker 1: is building all of these contacts. And then when you 319 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,200 Speaker 1: have talked to someone several times, when you have had 320 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: lunch with them several times, then you can really get 321 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: into the nitty gritty of like, well, how do you 322 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: feel about the contract, how do you feel about you know, unionizing, 323 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: how you feel about so and so. I think that 324 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 1: kind of community building is something that like our the 325 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: UAW two eight sixty five at least, really just like neglected. 326 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: So my example here is on one of the pickets, 327 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: not the picket that I was on, but on one 328 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: of the pickets. I later talked to a guy who 329 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: was saying like, oh, yeah, our picket is really militant. 330 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: We're supposed to be like shouting at people on the 331 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: street the entire time, and you know, our picket leader, 332 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: she's like going all out, and she you know, has 333 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: lost her voice because of that and all of that, 334 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: and I was thinking, like, okay, but what do you 335 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: don't you want to rest? You know, like what like 336 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: do you do anything for fun to keep people going 337 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: to the picket because his picket had dropped in numbers 338 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: so much that they had to combine numbers with another picket, right, 339 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: And to me, that was like, you are making this 340 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: really really stressful for people. That's not to say that 341 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: you know, like preventing people from parking there isn't important. 342 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: It is, but most people can only do that for 343 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: a couple of days and then they're like stressed out 344 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: and they do not want to contribute to that strike 345 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: situation anymore. They just want to sit at home and 346 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: not do work right, which is kind of what a 347 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 1: strike can be. But to keep people on the picket 348 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: lines and to keep in contact with them because they're 349 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: coming on campus or you know, at the workplace every day, 350 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: you have to make it like pleasant to be there. 351 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: And so that that was one of the things that 352 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: I learned from one of those pickets, where like you 353 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: aren't doing any community building, Like your community building is 354 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: a single basketball hoop that you brought and you put 355 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,120 Speaker 1: on the parking lot, and like that's not enough. You 356 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: have to do like food, you have to do some 357 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 1: kind of rest, you have to do some kind of art. 358 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 1: So in one of the other pickets that I participated in, 359 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: there was like chalking everywhere we were playing. We were 360 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,239 Speaker 1: making like you know, like a monopoly board, but like 361 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: you would just be losing two hundred dollars every time 362 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: you passed a step and things like that. Right, you 363 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: have to let people express themselves in this way for 364 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: them to keep coming back and back and being engaged, 365 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 1: for you to be able to facilitate conversation since to 366 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: ask like, hey, what do you think about the contract? Hey, 367 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: what do you want to do? I think community building 368 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: is the most important thing, and that can be online, 369 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: but it also should have an in person component to it. Yeah, 370 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: I think that's pretty well said. Fun is a way 371 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: like like intentionally making time and space and energy for 372 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: having fun as a community and just like doing things 373 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: that are just like like this is because all of 374 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 1: us need to eat and all of us need a break. 375 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: Like that is a way to like keep up your 376 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:10,400 Speaker 1: um to like keep up your stamina um and like 377 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: help people keep up your stamina for something taxing like 378 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 1: a strike. And also like to help people find the 379 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: kind of meaning that helps them like want to come 380 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 1: back and continue devoting energy to the thing um and 381 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: yeah that I just wanted to echo that like that, 382 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: Like it was only through like finding this group that 383 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: I was able to like find people of similar minds 384 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: on this. It was not in the like UAW department 385 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: organizing committee meetings that I could find like minds on this. 386 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 1: Our our picket, I don't think ever like like died 387 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: off like other pickets did, and our pick I'm referring to, 388 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: like most of the other people here, we were together 389 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 1: on one picket. Part of that is because we were 390 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: allowing like space for so many different activities to do. 391 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: Like there is one person in my department who kept 392 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: coming despite my department being like really politically disengaged, because 393 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: we had like a button maker and we could make buttons, 394 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: and he was like, Hey, this is fun. I'm just 395 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: gonna like continue drawing buttons for people. I like doing that. 396 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: And it was like, go for it, you know, like 397 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: as long as you're here, as long as we can 398 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: communicate with you and hear your opinions and see what 399 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:39,640 Speaker 1: you want to out of the contract, and you keep 400 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 1: on coming like we love that, you know, like if 401 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 1: you allow space for different people to do different things, 402 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,880 Speaker 1: if there's like a diversity of tactics, I think you're 403 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: going to get people a lot more engaged than if 404 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 1: you have this like top down like no, we should 405 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: only be preventing people from parking here, we should only 406 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: be shouting at students to not go to class like 407 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 1: they has to a diversity of tactics. That will be 408 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: a good time. I think for us to explain exactly 409 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: what dollar lunch club is and what it does. So 410 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: does someone want to take take on explaining that a 411 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: dollar and lunch club is very much like I would say, 412 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: ground up organizing tactics. I guess um it's it's everything 413 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 1: is sort of collectively decided in a weekly meeting, and 414 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: in the past quarter it's it's been lunch. It's we've 415 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 1: been providing lunch for UM. It's targeted at grad students, 416 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: but really UM welcoming all of all community members regardless 417 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: of like affiliation with UCSD, although it's mostly UCSD students 418 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: and grad students that have been attending. But UM, we've 419 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: been doing lunch for a dollar to to three times 420 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:06,480 Speaker 1: a week in different places on the UCSD campus, sort 421 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: of like a some of it is just lunches. Of 422 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: it is sort of like ad hoc catering, I would say, 423 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 1: of different kinds of organizing efforts, or like interdepartmental lunches. 424 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: So um, it's it's not totally fixed in terms of 425 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: location or affiliation. And all of the members are doing 426 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:39,959 Speaker 1: this totally voluntarily. And the one dollar that we collect 427 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: for the lunches, or or greater donations if community members want, 428 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: um go straight into just sustaining the lunch project and 429 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 1: groceries and but mostly yeah, there's been a lot of 430 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 1: efforts to sort of diversify and make the make our 431 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: lunches a sustainable cost wise as possible. So this last quarter, 432 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 1: folks have been working with the Food Recovery Network to 433 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: sort of supply some of the ingredients. It is very 434 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: much donate what you want. As Ken said, we generally 435 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,439 Speaker 1: suggested dollar donation, but it's I think one of our 436 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: signs says eat first, donate maybe, So it's very much 437 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 1: pay what you want, pay what you can. Yeah, And 438 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: I wanted to say, and like Matt was most directly 439 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: involved in this transition, but what it grew out of 440 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: was the fact that like the Humanity's Picket started doing 441 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: daily lunches together, and after the strike ended because of 442 00:28:54,240 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: the ratification vote, U, Matt and some other folks who 443 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: had been doing those lunches, we're just like, we should 444 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: keep doing this. This feels good and right. And um 445 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: more people like me jumped on afterwards, and we all 446 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: have been making it into this mutual lead thing for 447 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: like we need to like you know, humanize ourselves to 448 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: each other and like you know, shore up the like 449 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: community bonds that we noticed we're missing. Um. So that way, 450 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: maybe in the future, like people will care a little 451 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: more about like people that maybe they couldn't care less 452 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: about this time around. I want to just jump in 453 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: and give credit where credit is due. And Anna actually 454 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 1: were the originators of the strike food and I jumped 455 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: on day one because I I knew for I used 456 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: a professional cook for a while. I'm really in the 457 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: food and I wanted to do that. And so I 458 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: guess you could say it was the three of us, 459 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: and then it expanded her fair fair, I don't I 460 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: don't have my origin story nailed down. Yeah, you got 461 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: to get it on Pat. It's it's something I missed 462 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 1: greatly from like leftist organizing in certainly in like Soutain Europe, 463 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: which is you know where I spent a lot of 464 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: my life, Like you're always well fed at anything where 465 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: you're in Spain or Italy or even in France, and 466 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: like American labor organizing black set. So it's cool to 467 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 1: see you guys doing it. Yeah, kind of to summarize 468 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: what Alex was saying. For me, the goal is very 469 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: much too from one is food justice. Um, so food 470 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: for everyone. I think everyone should have it. It's great 471 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: to hear that that's kind of a building thing in Europe. 472 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: I didn't know that, but it sounds pretty on brand. Um. 473 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: Disappointingly that is not the case here. So yeah, everyone 474 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,479 Speaker 1: needs food. So that's that's one goal. And then for me, 475 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: the other goal is to get people talking across departments. 476 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: So I think a big issue in the strike was 477 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: that some departments were paid much more than others, and 478 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: I think for that reason, the ones who were paid 479 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: more were often less radical because they were kind of 480 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: already slightly more comfortable. Of course, no one has paid 481 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: a huge amount as a grad student, but they had. 482 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: I guess you could say more to lose, and maybe 483 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 1: we're less pressed to urgently start earning more, and of 484 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: course accessibility needs, and there are many other considerations. Basically, 485 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 1: if you're already somewhat comfortable with your living situation, you're 486 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: less likely to be super radical. And so I think 487 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: just not even being in those same spheres together, people 488 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: in those more comfortable departments kind of did not really 489 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: have any reason to interact with people in the less 490 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 1: comfortable departments, and they just didn't see them at all. 491 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 1: And so, just like what Alex is saying that food 492 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: is a way to humanize us all to each other, 493 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: it's very hard to have everyone in the same room 494 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 1: together without you know, seeing and talking to each other. 495 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,719 Speaker 1: So food was away for us to do that, and 496 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: I thought that that was a really important, continued, slow 497 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: moving goal. So weekly lunches are away for us to 498 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: invite people from across the campus and say, hey, there's 499 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 1: free food here and it's also really good, so you 500 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: should come by and eat them. And while you're here, 501 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: talk to some students from the Humanity's department and recognize 502 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,960 Speaker 1: that they have real needs and they are people too, 503 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: and maybe next time you vote you should keep their 504 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 1: thoughts in mind and vote a little bit less selfishly 505 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 1: if you can, so that that's what it is for me. 506 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: I think getting a little deeper, dig a little deeper 507 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: into the origin of like how this all started. My 508 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: department has been like very suspicious, I guess of the 509 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: the UAW previous efforts for fair for fair reasons, you know, 510 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: and so in terms of getting folks out to strike 511 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: and then also to be on the picket line, it 512 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 1: was definitely a struggle, not just not really so much 513 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: in that folks didn't believe in the cause, but they 514 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: were like pretty aware that, you know, as as literature students, 515 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 1: you're not the university or the union's priority, you know, 516 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: because humanity's you know that, you know that trend right 517 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: and so um. There was also a lot of the 518 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: whole um strike pay systems scared a lot of folks, 519 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: and it was like I have to switch from this, 520 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: you know, like different kind of labor, which is not 521 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:17,320 Speaker 1: really about me physically being in a place for twenty 522 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: hours a week, into this labor that is like me 523 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: walking around for twenty hours a week in order to 524 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 1: make sure that I am not going to go broke. 525 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:31,280 Speaker 1: And basically there was not a funded. There wasn't funded 526 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: snacks or lunch by the UAW, and I had actually 527 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,320 Speaker 1: Matt and I or yeah, Matt and I had asked 528 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 1: at an early meeting, I guess about getting a sort 529 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: of like seed fund of like maybe fifty dollars to 530 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 1: just get us rolling on the lunch, and the UAW 531 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: staff was like, Nope, lunch is just not included in 532 00:34:55,760 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 1: our budget. Sorry about that, Like, if you want to 533 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: do that, you'll have to figure out how to get 534 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,919 Speaker 1: this organizing going on your own. And so part of 535 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 1: doing the fundraising from the beginning was about that, and 536 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: actually the strike food funds that I also want to 537 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 1: throw some credit to Anna also as like one of 538 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:26,479 Speaker 1: the people that was like most focused on building sort 539 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: of the fundraising materials and actively fundraising in different places 540 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: and making sure that then ultimately in terms of being 541 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:39,399 Speaker 1: able to supply food lunch funds to other pickets, that 542 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: was something that we started doing about midway through the 543 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:47,359 Speaker 1: strike because we had had some fundraising success and it 544 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: was kind of crazy because it was I remember just 545 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: like the last day of the strike itself, just being 546 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: at another picket where you know that had sort of 547 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 1: developed more of its own like lunch culture, like using 548 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 1: some of that, like that fundraised cash and like also 549 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:12,759 Speaker 1: using efforts from other folks. But um, just the picket 550 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: being like somebody at the picket being like, damn, they 551 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 1: got to get on that lunch thing next time. This 552 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:26,960 Speaker 1: was key And I was just like no, yeah, um 553 00:36:27,239 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 1: but yeah, like exactly the lunch is key, Like how 554 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: are you how are you going to expect to have 555 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 1: people building community? You know, and you know the cheapest, 556 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,719 Speaker 1: the cheapest like lunch you can. I mean outside of 557 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:46,360 Speaker 1: basically during the strike, people were eating all of the 558 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,320 Speaker 1: food out of them the food co Op, which is 559 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:54,399 Speaker 1: another community group that supplies food on campus. Um, but 560 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,919 Speaker 1: outside of that, pretty much there is not a meal 561 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,919 Speaker 1: to be had on campus for less than like they're 562 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 1: dollars without packs. So yeah, that's that's about that, Alex. 563 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: Can I add something like before you just like a 564 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,359 Speaker 1: tiny thing? Based on Ken's point, I was going to say, 565 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:15,520 Speaker 1: at one point, I think it was week two or 566 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: week three of the strike, we were making so much food. 567 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: We were feeding like probably one hundred people, and then 568 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,360 Speaker 1: we would have leftovers and we would literally walk the 569 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:27,960 Speaker 1: leftovers or to the other pickets, and it surprised me 570 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 1: so much that the other picket would just be eating 571 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:35,000 Speaker 1: like chips and donuts, and here I am like dropping 572 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: off like cooked you know, like being burritos or like 573 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:43,359 Speaker 1: salads or things like that, like actual food for them. 574 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: So like, to me, this was like not even a 575 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: failure on the uaw's part. It was like very intentional 576 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: of like, well you're a kind of on your own, 577 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,759 Speaker 1: you know. So that's like the power of food to 578 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: me is like, well fed people are going to keep 579 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,080 Speaker 1: coming back, you know, people that don't have to spend 580 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: like a bunch of money on getting like donuts. I 581 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,520 Speaker 1: don't I don't think they're going to keep coming back, 582 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:13,320 Speaker 1: you know. Yeah, what Ken was saying earlier about props 583 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:17,279 Speaker 1: to Anna, nobody moves a secondhand insta pot in San 584 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: Diego County without Anna knowing about it is one of 585 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:30,000 Speaker 1: our group jukes. Yeah we love you. Yeah. Um but yeah, 586 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:35,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to offer some contrast to like, uh, how 587 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: uh like the other folks's departments have been, um, like 588 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:46,880 Speaker 1: have been responsive to things and like what the attitudes are. Um, 589 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 1: so I am in the computer science department. Uh, we 590 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 1: have plenty of money comparatively, um and we are I 591 00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: think steps what the previous steps were, steps eight and nine. Um. 592 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:05,880 Speaker 1: And we organize a lot with like the Electrical Engineering department, 593 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 1: which is like step like also like steps seven to 594 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 1: eight nine, UM. And I remember very vividly this town 595 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: hall we had before the ratification vote got announced, where like, uh, 596 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,600 Speaker 1: there was some temperature checking about like how does everybody 597 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,919 Speaker 1: feel about this, um, like if we if we put 598 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: this up for a vote, um, and everybody was just like, uh, 599 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:34,840 Speaker 1: you know, it looks all right to me. I think, I, 600 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:39,920 Speaker 1: uh this like you no, not not incredible, but like 601 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 1: I'd be able to handle this. And then I come 602 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 1: in and get my turn and go like, guys, Um, 603 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,279 Speaker 1: everything I'm hearing from the other side of campus is 604 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 1: them panicking and very upsets. UM. I don't think we 605 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: should do this if the rest of the campus is 606 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: panicking and upset and I was just like not heard 607 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 1: and kind of ignored. U. So yeah, UM. A lot 608 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 1: of the community building stuff, like when we talk about 609 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 1: like trying to get people to like humanize like other 610 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: people that they didn't seem to care about. UM, we're 611 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:38,800 Speaker 1: talking about like the departments that didn't need as much help, 612 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 1: like some of mine, and like the strike for me 613 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: personally was like it definitely transformed a lot of like 614 00:40:51,640 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 1: my friendships for that reason, because like I don't know 615 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:06,000 Speaker 1: how to be friends with people that are like I 616 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: see and hear that the people that you're talking to, 617 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 1: I see and hear that you're talking to people who 618 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 1: are absolutely freaking the hell out, because like we'll have 619 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 1: struck for six weeks or so and they'll still be poor. 620 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:25,239 Speaker 1: But like, I don't know how to be friends after that. 621 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,560 Speaker 1: I just wanted to catch a little bit more on 622 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:35,400 Speaker 1: the idea of feeding strikers and the massive logistical boon 623 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,919 Speaker 1: that that was for a movement. Does anybody we call 624 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 1: offhand how many weeks to strike went on over say 625 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 1: six u AW rules, who were in order to twentify 626 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: for strike pay, we needed to have twenty hours of 627 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: striking the week, so that boiled down to three ships. 628 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:57,640 Speaker 1: You could do them every you know, you could do 629 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 1: two in one day and one another day, but by 630 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:02,880 Speaker 1: and large, at least most of the people on my 631 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 1: pink were there, you know, five days a week. But 632 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 1: let's just say you got three ships lunch. As we've 633 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: already established at the UC San Diego campus is around 634 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: thirteen dollars a person, right, So that's thirty nine dollars 635 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:21,920 Speaker 1: you're spending just on lunch, not on gas, which for 636 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:25,160 Speaker 1: me is quite expensive because they live somewhat far from campus. 637 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:30,719 Speaker 1: So thirty nine time six is two hundred and thirty 638 00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:36,319 Speaker 1: four dollars. And when we struck for for these these 639 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 1: high wages, you know that was worth it. We put 640 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 1: in our effort a nice sweat. But at the end 641 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:43,400 Speaker 1: of the day, those of us in the arts and 642 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 1: humanities and ass are seeing this year two hundred dollars 643 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:54,200 Speaker 1: base per month. So just in our lunch that would 644 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:58,720 Speaker 1: have obviated the raises that we got during the strike. 645 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:03,400 Speaker 1: I think, you know, this show's really the necessity or 646 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:08,640 Speaker 1: a mutual aid in workers' movements like this, because you 647 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:11,279 Speaker 1: know we we nobody else is going to beat us. 648 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 1: We have to beat ourselves. Yeah, I think that's pretty 649 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,040 Speaker 1: It's good to put numbers on it, like it's a 650 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,440 Speaker 1: serious expensive it's not getting any cheaper. Another way that 651 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 1: I see this is it's not just for workers, like 652 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:26,239 Speaker 1: the way that I see what Dollar Lunch Club is 653 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 1: doing bias saying hey, we will provide either free or 654 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: very cheap a dollar, you know, for lunch on these 655 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:40,160 Speaker 1: days of the week basically every week. Whoever wants to 656 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,960 Speaker 1: come can come. Whoever wants to help can help go 657 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:45,840 Speaker 1: for it. That to me is basically like a soup kitchen, 658 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 1: Like it is a The way that I see it 659 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:54,640 Speaker 1: is it's like a communist anarchist type project of making. 660 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:58,360 Speaker 1: Like I'm not sure if I can say it's building power, 661 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 1: but I feel that it's not just building community, but 662 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:07,120 Speaker 1: like allowing people to worry less about expenses, which means 663 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 1: that they can put their energy into a lot of 664 00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:13,200 Speaker 1: other things. Like the way that I would want Dollar 665 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: Lunch Club to continue to evolve is that we would 666 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:20,760 Speaker 1: be able to offer lunch for you know, people who 667 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:24,319 Speaker 1: can't afford the like twelve dollars campus lunches every day 668 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,279 Speaker 1: of the week, all week. Like imagining the difference of 669 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,000 Speaker 1: you know, like, okay, there's ten weeks in a quarter, 670 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 1: five days in a week, so like fifty days that 671 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,239 Speaker 1: like you might be buying lunch at least half of 672 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,560 Speaker 1: those days. The difference of one dollar lunch versus like 673 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 1: ten dollars lunch is like hundreds of dollars right, So 674 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 1: to me, if we can provide that you know, as 675 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:53,200 Speaker 1: we grow in time to all five days of the week, 676 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:57,480 Speaker 1: you know, on several locations on campus, and we provide 677 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:01,160 Speaker 1: that for a couple of hundred students, community members, or 678 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: what have you, we will be making a material difference 679 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 1: in these people's lives and we will be showing them 680 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:10,360 Speaker 1: a different way that like organizing or not even just organizing, 681 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:15,480 Speaker 1: but like that accessibility to food can be organized. If 682 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:19,120 Speaker 1: that makes sense that it doesn't, you know, like getting 683 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 1: food doesn't have to be this like capitalist project of 684 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:26,200 Speaker 1: like I am ordering this sort of thing and I 685 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:30,080 Speaker 1: am getting this back. It can be like the more 686 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:33,040 Speaker 1: along the terms of like what we're doing, which is 687 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:36,040 Speaker 1: like we are seeing what food has been donated to 688 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,600 Speaker 1: the pantry that we work a lot with, the Basic 689 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:43,479 Speaker 1: Needs Hub, the food pantry and so on to get 690 00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 1: a bunch of like donated produce out of which we 691 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:50,480 Speaker 1: make foods. Right, so we're reducing food waste. We're trying 692 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 1: to you know, contribute to like food justice, making food 693 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:57,759 Speaker 1: as free as cheap as possible, and allowing people to 694 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:01,040 Speaker 1: be like, hey, actually the cafeterias that you see on campus, 695 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:04,480 Speaker 1: you getting lunch doesn't have to be this way. It 696 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:07,719 Speaker 1: doesn't have to you know, like you pay you know, 697 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:10,439 Speaker 1: like two bucks for an apple or things like that. 698 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:14,960 Speaker 1: And then another thing that occasionally we've been doing is 699 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:20,399 Speaker 1: also foraging. So here in southern California there's a lot 700 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:24,840 Speaker 1: of edible non native species such as like mustard, curly 701 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 1: doc wild rabbish things like that, and so we can 702 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,799 Speaker 1: like flage those and even make food out of them 703 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,880 Speaker 1: along with food from the food pantry. So I you know, 704 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:39,600 Speaker 1: not that we're really doing this right now, but my 705 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,600 Speaker 1: dream would be to really kind of revolutionize the way 706 00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:48,640 Speaker 1: that food culture is in UCSC and show people like, no, 707 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,120 Speaker 1: it can't be a food kitchen where you don't have 708 00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:55,200 Speaker 1: to like expressly worry about where you're getting your meal 709 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 1: the next day. You don't have to pay three dollars 710 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:00,480 Speaker 1: for a banana, you don't have to do any of that. 711 00:47:01,040 --> 00:47:03,799 Speaker 1: You can have like a better future you can't have 712 00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:07,480 Speaker 1: like a better experience at the university or just like 713 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:10,000 Speaker 1: in life in general. Yeah, yeah, I think that's a 714 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:12,600 Speaker 1: and that's really now. I know, like I teach the 715 00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:15,719 Speaker 1: community college sometimes, so it's a little different from the 716 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:18,480 Speaker 1: UC but maybe not as different as people might imagine. 717 00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:23,360 Speaker 1: And like one thing that I've noticed, Like I always 718 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:25,960 Speaker 1: have food in my office, and a lot of my 719 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 1: students are in food procarity and have been for a while, 720 00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:31,520 Speaker 1: and like certainly around like the time of the fucking 721 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:34,239 Speaker 1: travel Band when when people's parents were stuck outside the 722 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 1: country and they know, defend for themselves. It's a way 723 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:40,799 Speaker 1: that like we can move from this moment of alienation, 724 00:47:40,880 --> 00:47:44,160 Speaker 1: which is like you know, your interaction with Pandora Express 725 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:48,000 Speaker 1: where you give money and you get a box of 726 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:51,600 Speaker 1: food you eat by yourself, to like a moment of solidarity, 727 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,000 Speaker 1: which is cool. Um, yeah, it's great that you're foraging too. 728 00:47:55,320 --> 00:47:56,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to do a foraging episode one day, so 729 00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:11,160 Speaker 1: we have to have you back for that. I want 730 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:13,799 Speaker 1: to like finish up maybe by just talking about some 731 00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:19,280 Speaker 1: logistical stuff. Anarchists have been feeding people, communists or leftists 732 00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:21,520 Speaker 1: or whatever like for quite a long time, right, like 733 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:25,279 Speaker 1: I can. Some of my best food memories are like 734 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 1: eating beans with with people, you know, like food not 735 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:32,759 Speaker 1: bombs things. At the I do a lot of work 736 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,320 Speaker 1: with refugees, so like food not bomb things in twenty 737 00:48:35,360 --> 00:48:39,239 Speaker 1: eighteen with a migrant caravan, or people making pancakes at 738 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:41,640 Speaker 1: the G eight protest in the early two thousands, Like 739 00:48:41,680 --> 00:48:44,200 Speaker 1: some of my best memories not of just food, but 740 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:48,919 Speaker 1: like of forming community around food. So like when you're 741 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:52,719 Speaker 1: doing this stuff, like is there any if someone wants 742 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:54,440 Speaker 1: to someone here's they say, like, hell, yeah, I want 743 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:56,120 Speaker 1: to do that on my campus, at my workplace, in 744 00:48:56,160 --> 00:48:59,919 Speaker 1: my town whatever. Like logistically it sounds like you guys 745 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:02,640 Speaker 1: have a corner on the insta port market. But like 746 00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:05,440 Speaker 1: aside from that, like a cooking vegan food, so it's 747 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,600 Speaker 1: it's more accessible for more people. You know, what kind 748 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:11,160 Speaker 1: of stuff like that would you advise for people? I 749 00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:14,400 Speaker 1: can jump in on this, ye, cooking cooking to scale 750 00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:18,759 Speaker 1: is an entirely different piece than cooking for yourself at home. 751 00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:26,040 Speaker 1: And um, you've already identified beans as being really legumes 752 00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:30,480 Speaker 1: and grains bought in bulk machine kind of a surprise 753 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:33,480 Speaker 1: to anybody who who's thought about it for ever a 754 00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:36,000 Speaker 1: hot second that that when you buy in bulk, it's 755 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:41,479 Speaker 1: far cheaper, but it also comes with downsides, like when 756 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,879 Speaker 1: you're soaking beans, you often you know, have to soak 757 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:48,920 Speaker 1: those beans a long time ahead of time. Um, and 758 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:52,600 Speaker 1: what we have been doing, which I think that my 759 00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:56,160 Speaker 1: my comrades have touched on, is sourcing from a great 760 00:49:56,239 --> 00:50:05,120 Speaker 1: variety of local food banks and uh barns and donations 761 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:08,879 Speaker 1: both during the strike and afterwards. One thing that I 762 00:50:08,920 --> 00:50:12,440 Speaker 1: would say we struggled with in the initial phases of 763 00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:16,680 Speaker 1: Dollar Lunch Club when we were still actively striking, was 764 00:50:16,760 --> 00:50:19,560 Speaker 1: that you know, the absolute best of goodwill in the world, 765 00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:25,000 Speaker 1: everybody wanted to donate foodstuffs, um, and that meant that 766 00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:28,640 Speaker 1: our meal planning was was significantly harder because you know, 767 00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:31,440 Speaker 1: we have half a can of tomato paste, and we 768 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:34,759 Speaker 1: have twenty five cans of pinto beans and you know, 769 00:50:34,960 --> 00:50:40,880 Speaker 1: to ten bulls of pentel and three crackers. Like definitely, 770 00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:48,080 Speaker 1: we found that it was easier to solicit both cash financially, 771 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:51,680 Speaker 1: you know, setting up a what's what's it called a 772 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:56,360 Speaker 1: venmo um and also you know, for people who can't 773 00:50:56,400 --> 00:51:01,040 Speaker 1: give money, um, we put them to work. And and 774 00:51:01,239 --> 00:51:03,279 Speaker 1: that was you know, because people want to help, and 775 00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:06,120 Speaker 1: we felt kind of bad after a while turning people away. 776 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:08,040 Speaker 1: Who are you know, offering to go to the score. 777 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:10,080 Speaker 1: And at one point in the strike way I think 778 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:12,920 Speaker 1: we got like twenty five prepackaged Indian meals which we 779 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:15,480 Speaker 1: ended up giving out to people for lunch. But as 780 00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:20,439 Speaker 1: far as feeding people on site, you know, being very 781 00:51:20,480 --> 00:51:23,520 Speaker 1: specific about what kinds of things you're looking for ahead 782 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:27,879 Speaker 1: of time, meal planning in a well in advance, with 783 00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:31,520 Speaker 1: a sort of basic framework of Okay, we got a 784 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:34,960 Speaker 1: bean and we got a starch, what do we have 785 00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:38,440 Speaker 1: to throw into the bean pot. The last thing I 786 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:44,000 Speaker 1: would say is, as as Anna has rightly been championed 787 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:53,080 Speaker 1: for UM, the actual cooking devices are super important too, 788 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:56,319 Speaker 1: and that was one of that has perpetually been one 789 00:51:56,360 --> 00:51:59,640 Speaker 1: of our biggest struggles because you know, we don't have 790 00:51:59,680 --> 00:52:02,480 Speaker 1: a call slender, so we can't drain the beans, and 791 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 1: we have four insta pots, but there are different sizes, 792 00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:08,680 Speaker 1: and the lives for two don't work with wear and tear. 793 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:13,800 Speaker 1: Stuff is you know, breaking right when you need it 794 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:19,680 Speaker 1: the most, So you know, if you are getting money donations, 795 00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:24,480 Speaker 1: I think it's really important to budget for the pots 796 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:28,200 Speaker 1: and the pans and can openers and these kinds of 797 00:52:28,239 --> 00:52:31,080 Speaker 1: things that really get a difference in getting blue hot 798 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:34,640 Speaker 1: and out on time and large numbers. Yeah, I think 799 00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:37,359 Speaker 1: that's very good advice. Maria had something to add. I 800 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:40,200 Speaker 1: have actually a lot of things to add logistics wise, 801 00:52:40,239 --> 00:52:43,839 Speaker 1: because in our meetings we talk about some some some 802 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:46,799 Speaker 1: parts of this. And so one of the big things 803 00:52:46,800 --> 00:52:50,840 Speaker 1: that we talked about over the strike but also after 804 00:52:50,920 --> 00:52:53,400 Speaker 1: the strike when we were like, hey, let's let's continue 805 00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:56,520 Speaker 1: this project is how much of our things should be 806 00:52:56,560 --> 00:52:59,719 Speaker 1: like reusable versus like disposable. Right. That was like a 807 00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:03,840 Speaker 1: big topic of like, well, okay, we're using disposable forks, 808 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:07,440 Speaker 1: and we we don't like that environmentally because we're putting 809 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:12,080 Speaker 1: like a bunch of plastic into you know, the trash, right, 810 00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:16,040 Speaker 1: and we have to buy plastic each time. But then 811 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:18,879 Speaker 1: like we don't know, okay, you know, like should we 812 00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:21,360 Speaker 1: should we buy like, you know, a bunch of metal spoons, 813 00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:23,040 Speaker 1: but they're going to be a little bit more expensive 814 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:25,560 Speaker 1: than the disposable ones, but you know, maybe the costs 815 00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:28,640 Speaker 1: will even out after a while, and like that. That 816 00:53:28,760 --> 00:53:31,480 Speaker 1: kind of you know, discussion has to be had about 817 00:53:31,520 --> 00:53:34,680 Speaker 1: like everything, So you know, about like bowls, about like 818 00:53:34,719 --> 00:53:37,560 Speaker 1: the pans in which we cook in like mixing bowls, 819 00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:40,160 Speaker 1: like all kinds of things like that where we're thinking, 820 00:53:40,160 --> 00:53:42,759 Speaker 1: you know, like, based on the funds that we have, 821 00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:45,799 Speaker 1: based on our usage of some of these products, is 822 00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:48,840 Speaker 1: it worth it getting you know, like reusable things, which 823 00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:52,560 Speaker 1: unfortunately will have to like clean afterwards, so they add 824 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:56,320 Speaker 1: to the labor, but thankfully they don't you know, pollute 825 00:53:56,320 --> 00:54:00,160 Speaker 1: the environment in the way that disposable things do. So 826 00:54:00,640 --> 00:54:04,840 Speaker 1: for us, because we do care a lot about lowering 827 00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:08,879 Speaker 1: our usage of plastic, we did pivot to using more 828 00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:12,400 Speaker 1: reusable things. So I think for a group that may 829 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:15,440 Speaker 1: be interested in, you know, like facilitating something like this 830 00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:18,279 Speaker 1: in their workplace or in their university or something like that, 831 00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:20,719 Speaker 1: I think that is one important discussion that you want 832 00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:23,120 Speaker 1: to have. What is the time course that you see 833 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:26,400 Speaker 1: of this project continuing and is it worth it getting 834 00:54:26,440 --> 00:54:31,439 Speaker 1: you know, like reusable versus disposable tools for the people 835 00:54:31,520 --> 00:54:35,160 Speaker 1: that possibly you're going to feed. Another thing that is 836 00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:42,440 Speaker 1: related to this is when you're first starting to cook, 837 00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:46,239 Speaker 1: really you're trying to borrow things from other people. So 838 00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:49,600 Speaker 1: a lot of the things that like during the strike, 839 00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:52,799 Speaker 1: we had just borrowed people's instapots, Like people brought in 840 00:54:52,840 --> 00:54:55,440 Speaker 1: their instapots, they labeled them like, oh, this is you know, 841 00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:59,239 Speaker 1: Dana's instapot, and then we use those instapots. After the strike, 842 00:54:59,280 --> 00:55:01,279 Speaker 1: we couldn't do that at anymore. But there were some 843 00:55:01,320 --> 00:55:04,120 Speaker 1: people that were willing to be like, hey, I'm actually 844 00:55:04,120 --> 00:55:06,799 Speaker 1: like moving out and I'll donate all these tupperware to you. 845 00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:08,839 Speaker 1: And so we took the tupperware and now we have 846 00:55:08,960 --> 00:55:12,120 Speaker 1: like a little tupperware program where if people don't forget 847 00:55:12,160 --> 00:55:14,399 Speaker 1: to bring their tupperware to put lunch in, we just 848 00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:16,799 Speaker 1: like label it. You see a z dollar lunch club, 849 00:55:16,800 --> 00:55:18,960 Speaker 1: you see a mutual aid, and we just give away 850 00:55:19,000 --> 00:55:21,839 Speaker 1: the tupperware and oftentimes you know it's brought back to us. 851 00:55:22,239 --> 00:55:25,120 Speaker 1: That kind of thing, and that again facilitates food usage. 852 00:55:25,120 --> 00:55:27,600 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of places where you can find 853 00:55:28,160 --> 00:55:33,680 Speaker 1: things that you might need in this kind of thing. 854 00:55:33,719 --> 00:55:36,800 Speaker 1: So can openers. I have found a bunch of jars 855 00:55:36,800 --> 00:55:39,359 Speaker 1: that people you know, after they're moving away, they lead 856 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:42,719 Speaker 1: for free around graduate housing. So like there's a lot 857 00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:45,520 Speaker 1: of things that you can get which you don't really 858 00:55:45,560 --> 00:55:48,920 Speaker 1: require funds for. There's also buying nothing groups on Facebook 859 00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:51,680 Speaker 1: that I think are particularly effective for this. So a 860 00:55:51,719 --> 00:55:53,600 Speaker 1: lot of people that are just like, oh yeah, I'm 861 00:55:53,640 --> 00:55:55,640 Speaker 1: like updating my kitchen. I'm throwing away a bunch of 862 00:55:55,640 --> 00:55:58,160 Speaker 1: these utensils that you can just get for free. So 863 00:55:58,200 --> 00:56:00,680 Speaker 1: that's been really helpful for us as well, and as 864 00:56:00,719 --> 00:56:02,640 Speaker 1: someone who does a lot of sourcing as well, so 865 00:56:02,680 --> 00:56:05,920 Speaker 1: we tend to shop from Goodwill and other thrift stores 866 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 1: to make sure that you know, are buying in the 867 00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:16,680 Speaker 1: consumption of some of these tools is as ethical if 868 00:56:16,680 --> 00:56:19,799 Speaker 1: you can call it that as possible. And then a 869 00:56:19,880 --> 00:56:22,200 Speaker 1: third thing that I would like to add for anyone 870 00:56:22,200 --> 00:56:24,799 Speaker 1: who wants to, you know, start a project like this 871 00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:27,759 Speaker 1: is I think you have to make it be fun 872 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:31,120 Speaker 1: for you, the person that's cooking and cleaning and organizing, 873 00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:34,200 Speaker 1: apart from making it fun for everyone else who gets 874 00:56:34,239 --> 00:56:38,279 Speaker 1: you know, like free food, cheap food, tasty food. Right. So, 875 00:56:38,560 --> 00:56:41,320 Speaker 1: something that I really like about Dollar Lunch Club is 876 00:56:41,360 --> 00:56:44,279 Speaker 1: that we've been really allowing our members to like run 877 00:56:44,320 --> 00:56:48,440 Speaker 1: wild with the ideas that they have. Right. So, for example, 878 00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:53,920 Speaker 1: we Anna and I have been talking about utilizing all 879 00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:56,359 Speaker 1: the frozen bread that has been donated to us and 880 00:56:56,440 --> 00:56:59,480 Speaker 1: making French toast vegan French toast out of that. So 881 00:56:59,520 --> 00:57:02,800 Speaker 1: we really excited for doing something fun like that because 882 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:06,120 Speaker 1: usually in a lot of like soup kitchen places, you 883 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:10,440 Speaker 1: have foods that are like, hey, this is nutritious, but 884 00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:14,520 Speaker 1: you know, like I don't want to eat beans all day. 885 00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:17,200 Speaker 1: I'm someone who like does like beans, but not everyone 886 00:57:17,520 --> 00:57:21,720 Speaker 1: else wants to just eat, you know, like mashed beans 887 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:24,920 Speaker 1: all day, that kind of thing. And so having a 888 00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:27,160 Speaker 1: like a variety of things that we cook, like we 889 00:57:27,320 --> 00:57:31,360 Speaker 1: pretty much like cook all kinds of curries, a lot 890 00:57:31,400 --> 00:57:35,760 Speaker 1: of like rice dishes, a lot of stews, pesto and spaghetti, 891 00:57:36,240 --> 00:57:40,120 Speaker 1: like pasta, you know, just like all very different kinds 892 00:57:40,120 --> 00:57:41,960 Speaker 1: of meals that make it fun for the people who 893 00:57:42,040 --> 00:57:44,840 Speaker 1: are arriving. So, like I mentioned pesto, I made pesto 894 00:57:44,880 --> 00:57:47,000 Speaker 1: a couple of times, and like a lot of people 895 00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:51,000 Speaker 1: are like, ooh, pesto basil. That's gonna be great. And 896 00:57:51,040 --> 00:57:52,960 Speaker 1: that was with like the forge mustard that I was 897 00:57:53,000 --> 00:57:57,400 Speaker 1: talking about before. And like when you have that kind 898 00:57:57,400 --> 00:58:00,640 Speaker 1: of variety and when you have like interesting on foods, 899 00:58:00,680 --> 00:58:05,800 Speaker 1: when you can like make boba in like an instat pot, 900 00:58:05,960 --> 00:58:09,320 Speaker 1: or you could grab a toaster oven and make garlic bread, 901 00:58:09,360 --> 00:58:12,160 Speaker 1: which is things that we've done, you make it a 902 00:58:12,200 --> 00:58:14,640 Speaker 1: lot more fun for the people that are cooking as well, 903 00:58:14,640 --> 00:58:17,680 Speaker 1: and it just becomes like a community building thing, not 904 00:58:17,720 --> 00:58:20,320 Speaker 1: just for the people eating, but for the people doing 905 00:58:20,360 --> 00:58:25,120 Speaker 1: that labor. So that's like that's what I would advise people, Like, yes, 906 00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:28,520 Speaker 1: you are under very tight budgetary constraints, we try to 907 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:32,240 Speaker 1: like for some meals, like because there's so much donations. 908 00:58:32,360 --> 00:58:35,040 Speaker 1: Sometimes there's zero dollars. Sometimes we have to buy things, 909 00:58:35,040 --> 00:58:37,760 Speaker 1: and we try to have it be less than twenty dollars, 910 00:58:37,760 --> 00:58:40,439 Speaker 1: so we can like feed thirty to forty people and 911 00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:44,520 Speaker 1: you can like have that you know, money that's donated 912 00:58:44,600 --> 00:58:48,440 Speaker 1: for like one dollar. Have that be for like next 913 00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:52,440 Speaker 1: time that kind of thing. Did I Yeah, so like 914 00:58:52,520 --> 00:58:55,520 Speaker 1: make it fun for yourself so you can like continue 915 00:58:55,520 --> 00:58:57,400 Speaker 1: doing that work and you won't burn out in the 916 00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:02,320 Speaker 1: way that you you might otherwise even as you were 917 00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:07,160 Speaker 1: trying to budget. Yeah. Yeah, I just wanted to say, um, Like, 918 00:59:07,480 --> 00:59:11,360 Speaker 1: in terms of roles, um, so we always have like 919 00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:17,520 Speaker 1: somebody who like knows how to like pull a recipe together. 920 00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:22,160 Speaker 1: More Um, we always have to have somebody who like 921 00:59:22,320 --> 00:59:25,560 Speaker 1: does dish washing. And like each of these roles can 922 00:59:25,640 --> 00:59:28,480 Speaker 1: have like one or two or three people in it, 923 00:59:29,080 --> 00:59:31,479 Speaker 1: uh in it, and then there's always like people who 924 00:59:31,640 --> 00:59:39,120 Speaker 1: just like do the like labor of prep um and um, Like, yeah, 925 00:59:39,160 --> 00:59:41,720 Speaker 1: that could be all the same person and or it 926 00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:45,880 Speaker 1: can be multiple for each UM and I want to sit. 927 00:59:46,080 --> 00:59:50,320 Speaker 1: Usually I am a person who either like like I 928 00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:54,160 Speaker 1: show up to peel veggies that people tell me need 929 00:59:54,200 --> 00:59:57,960 Speaker 1: to be peeled, and I show up to wash dishes. Um, 930 00:59:58,760 --> 01:00:03,320 Speaker 1: because I'm not a person and who is Like I 931 01:00:03,360 --> 01:00:06,600 Speaker 1: have trouble making decisions about food. I do not want 932 01:00:06,600 --> 01:00:09,040 Speaker 1: to be in charge of food stuff. And that has 933 01:00:09,080 --> 01:00:15,440 Speaker 1: been like okay, and that has meant that like I 934 01:00:15,480 --> 01:00:18,000 Speaker 1: do not have to like get nervous and worked up 935 01:00:18,000 --> 01:00:20,760 Speaker 1: about like I don't know how to make decisions about food. 936 01:00:20,800 --> 01:00:24,160 Speaker 1: Here I can just show up and peel carrots. And 937 01:00:24,360 --> 01:00:29,120 Speaker 1: it's like kind of helped me, um, like maybe get 938 01:00:29,120 --> 01:00:31,920 Speaker 1: a little bit of a better feel for like cooking stuff. 939 01:00:32,560 --> 01:00:35,200 Speaker 1: So that way when I am like just cooking for myself, 940 01:00:36,640 --> 01:00:39,360 Speaker 1: I do just think of like, okay, if I was 941 01:00:40,520 --> 01:00:45,919 Speaker 1: like if I was in you know, like dollar lunch 942 01:00:45,960 --> 01:00:48,440 Speaker 1: prep mode, Um, I know I have rice and I 943 01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:52,840 Speaker 1: know I have beans, and so I'm set um and 944 01:00:54,040 --> 01:00:58,360 Speaker 1: uh yeah. And a lot a lot of times just 945 01:00:58,440 --> 01:01:02,920 Speaker 1: like taking away the like the dirty dish bin and 946 01:01:03,040 --> 01:01:06,760 Speaker 1: sort of like leaving out maybe like a few washed 947 01:01:06,840 --> 01:01:09,920 Speaker 1: bowls by the sink along with a sponge and a 948 01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:12,920 Speaker 1: bit of soap. People get the queue and they'll wash 949 01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:18,040 Speaker 1: their own dishes. It's yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think 950 01:01:18,040 --> 01:01:21,280 Speaker 1: that's great. Actually having space for different skill sets and 951 01:01:21,520 --> 01:01:25,880 Speaker 1: different preferences within your organizing is always key. Okay guys. 952 01:01:25,920 --> 01:01:28,760 Speaker 1: And where can people find, like if they want to 953 01:01:29,160 --> 01:01:33,200 Speaker 1: ask you for bean recipes or follow along cepages whatever 954 01:01:33,240 --> 01:01:35,640 Speaker 1: it is like a Dollar Lunch Club social media, they 955 01:01:35,640 --> 01:01:37,960 Speaker 1: can find or do you have individual ones you want 956 01:01:37,960 --> 01:01:42,480 Speaker 1: to share? Uh? So, I think Alex can talk about 957 01:01:42,520 --> 01:01:46,960 Speaker 1: the website. I have a website. Yes, I made us. 958 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:49,880 Speaker 1: I made us a website. Um. So we are most 959 01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:54,200 Speaker 1: active on Instagram. Uh, can can put our handle in 960 01:01:54,240 --> 01:02:01,040 Speaker 1: the chat is Dollar Underscore Lunch Underscore Club on Instagram. Um. 961 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:08,800 Speaker 1: And yeah, the website is Dollar Lunch Club UCSD, separated 962 01:02:08,840 --> 01:02:13,320 Speaker 1: by dashes and then dot get hub, dot io because 963 01:02:13,840 --> 01:02:16,560 Speaker 1: you can get free domain names if it's your get 964 01:02:16,600 --> 01:02:21,600 Speaker 1: hub user name. Hot tip of the Day um but 965 01:02:22,280 --> 01:02:27,600 Speaker 1: uh yeah, primarily on Instagram. Nice. Yeah, it's great. All right, Well, 966 01:02:27,640 --> 01:02:29,400 Speaker 1: thank you very much for your time, guys. I already 967 01:02:29,400 --> 01:02:31,560 Speaker 1: appreciate it, and yeah, I hope more people do the 968 01:02:31,560 --> 01:02:33,439 Speaker 1: same because, as you said, I think this is really 969 01:02:33,440 --> 01:02:36,440 Speaker 1: important way to organize. Thank you so much. We really 970 01:02:36,480 --> 01:02:43,240 Speaker 1: appreciate it. It could happen here as a production of 971 01:02:43,280 --> 01:02:46,200 Speaker 1: cool Zone Media. Well more podcasts from cool Zone Media. 972 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:48,920 Speaker 1: Visit our website cool zonemedia dot com, or check us 973 01:02:48,920 --> 01:02:51,760 Speaker 1: out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 974 01:02:51,840 --> 01:02:54,600 Speaker 1: listen to podcasts, you can find sources for It could 975 01:02:54,600 --> 01:02:58,520 Speaker 1: happen here, Updated monthly at cool zonemedia dot com slash sources. 976 01:02:58,760 --> 01:02:59,600 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.