Its time to fight for a raise and save jobs!

As we start another year the economic crisis kicked off by the Wall Street bankers continues.

On November 2 Tennessee voters elected a new governor and a new General Assembly.

As candidates many of these newly elected officials bragged about their unique abilities to fix this economic crisis. That is why they must hear from you about how the economic crisis is hurting your family and quality of life. Our already thin paychecks are shrinking by the day as health care costs skyrocket and the effects of 4 years without a pay raise take their toll.

With price increases for gas, food, housing, and this month's insurance premium hike, the only thing that isn't going up is our pay checks.

UT President Joe Diepietro and TBR Chancellor John Morgan recently have both publicly stated the need for salary increases for staff and faculty. You should pat yourself on the back, because of your union membership and the work you've help push forward for UCW’s 2011 campaign these pressing issues are be discussed by top higher education officials.

For some, the Tennessee economy is slowly improving.  In fact, for the first quarter of this fiscal year sales tax collections outpaced projections by $46 million, the highest since 2007! For the current fiscal year Tennessee is $78 million above projections.

As these trends continue, we cannot allow the state legislature to use the excuse of a "bad economy" to keep hard-working higher education employees down.  There will be no "economic recovery" until working class Tennesseans see improvements in our pocketbooks. We need an equal dollar pay raise for all Tennessee higher education workers and no more job losses.

Now more than ever higher education staff and faculty need to speak out and pressure elected officials to remedy this crisis! The time for listening to politicians’ talk is over. They either need to deliver or go home.

UCW-CWA is planning our largest citizen lobbying efforts ever, and YOU need to be a part of it!

On Tuesday, March 15^th higher education employees from across Tennessee will meet in Nashville to rally for Raises, Healthcare, and Good Jobs! Please join us on this important day!

Rally for Raises, Health Care, and Good Jobs!
 2011 UCW-CWA Lobby Day
Tuesday, March 15^th Nashville
RSVP at http://ucw-cwa.org/2011-Get-Involved!
Or call 1-877-292-3865

We need members to come to Nashville and press our demands for pay raises and job protection!  Transportation is being coordinated from your respective part of the state- just contact us to get information on your locale!  

We cannot afford to wait another 4 years for “the right time” to demand dignity, fair pay and respect.  Now is the right time!