MGAA Documents

MGAA Constitution

CBAs: Collective Bargaining Agreements:
2007-2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement (mark up)
2005-2007 Collective Bargaining Agreement
2003-2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement

These are proposals the MGAA submitted to UWM for possible inclusion in our collective bargaining agreements:
Proposals for the 2007-2009 CBA
Proposals for the 2005-2007 CBA

2009 Executive Committee Elections: Member Biographies and Statements and Election Sample Ballot These links will open .pdf files.

Looking for information on claiming the Midwestern Disaster Education Tax Credit? The link will open a .pdf file with instructions for filing.

General Membership Meeting Resolutions, 21 November 2008


Resolution: Paid Sick Days
Whereas: The MGAA endorsed the Paid Sick Days referendum and its members devoted volunteer efforts to get the word out at UWM and in the community, and
Whereas: The law requiring employers to provide paid sick time was overwhelmingly approved by the city of Milwaukee voters on November 4, 2008,
Therefore: Be it resolved that MGAA calls upon the city of Milwaukee to fully enforce the new ordinance, and that we demand all employers to fully comply with the new ordinance while not eroding any exisiting benefits.

Be it further resolved that the MGAA fully supports all efforts to fully enforce the ordinance, and that the MGAA shall assist in tracking the compliance of all entities in implementing it.

Resolution: Anti-Sweatshop Campaign
Whereas: The MGAA supports the right of all workers to organize; and
Whereas: As students, the MGAA thinks it is important that the production of goods and services provided to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are the result of the payment of fair wages and from an environment of fair working conditions; and
Whereas: As UWM employees, the MGAA desires to know and ensure that they are not supporting institutions that profit from using products or services resulting from the exploitation of workers;
Therefore: Be it resolved that the MGAA calls on the university to publicly support the Designated Suppliers Program and to join their working group immediately.

Be it further resolved that the MGAA strongly urges all of its members to cease ordering books from the UWM bookstore.

Resolution: On a State-wide Moratorium on Sub-Prime Loan Related Foreclosures and a Reinvestment in Public Services and Infrastructure
Whereas: According to the Center for Responsible Lending, an estimated 2.26 million families nationwide, and 24,661 in Wisconsin, will face foreclosures from sub-prime loans, and
Whereas: A recession in spending and tax revenue will lead to decreased investment in necessary public services such as education, healthcare, public transportation, housing assistance and safety, and
Whereas: The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act authorized $700 billion of public funds has been given over to Wall Street banks and lending institutions to purchase distressed assets accumulated and initiated by the very policies of these banks and lenders, while investment in public services and investment has fallen,
Therefore: Be it resolved that MGAA calls on the Governor and the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin to pass and enforce a state-wide moratorium on foreclosures stemming from sub-prime loan defaults, and to enact a program of financial reinvestment in public services and infrastructure that will create jobs and will provide quality public services to working people.

Links to Further Reading / Bibliography of Suggested Print Texts

AFT: "Academic Staffing Crisis"

AAUP: "Resources on Contingent Faculty"

Aronowitz, S. (2000). The knowledge factory: Dismantling the corporate university and creating true higher learning. Boston: Beacon Press.

Bousquet, M. (2008). How the university works: Higher education and the low-wage nation. Albany, NY: New York University Press.

Donoghue, F. (2008). The last professors: The corporate university and the fate of the humanities. New York: Fordham University Press.

Slaughter, S., & Leslie, L. (1997). Academic capitalism: Politics, policies, and the entrepreneurial university. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Slaughter, S., & Rhoades, G. (2004). Academic capitalism and the new economy: Markets, state and higher education. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

This is the bill submitted by Senator Reynolds to remove collective bargaining rights from graduate assistants in the state of Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Senate Bill 317

Historical, Educational, and Activist Websites


PSM: Progressive Students of Milwaukee


SDS-Milwaukee


USLAW: US Labor Against the War


Chicago Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor


Peace Action Wisconsin


Wisconsin Labor History Society


One Wisconsin Now


Fighting Bob


Workplace: a journal for academic labor


CGEU: The Coalition of Graduate Employee Unions


Industrial Workers of the World


Links to our Affiliates

We are affiliated with the following labor organizations:

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

Our national organization representing 1.3 million teachers and professionals.

AFT-Wisconsin (AFT-W)

Our statewide affiliate body of the AFT represents 17,000 professionals throughout Wisconsin, including 3,200 graduate employees at UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison.

American Federation of Labor- Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

With both state and national organizations, the AFL-CIO is a loose federation of labor unions from all represented industries, which represnt about 8 million members collectively.  The AFL-CIO helps us coordinate on issues of state and national importance.

The Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MCLC)

A loose federation of almost all union members in the Milwaukee area, the MCLC has about 55,000 members.   As a council we work to provide support with other members on issues of mutual importance as well as issues of particular concern to each union.