Funferal

Definitions matter

EUObserver reports on internal EU Commission documents that seek to redefine palm oil plantations – “the source of one of the most destructive forms of biofuels” – as forest that “would not per se constitute a breach” of rules on sustainability. While forests are generally seen as desirable under such rules, because they are not a net contributor to global warming, and support diverse ecosystems, the definition of ‘forest’ has been tweaked in the draft rules, following intensive lobbying, in order to cover some of the activities that such rules are meant to discourage.

Posted in International Affairs, International law and structures | No Comments »

In Portugal, web radio gains while digital radio stalls

More grist to the mill of those hammering home the failure of digital terrestrial radio forms, this time from a Portuguese-language article by Nair Prata in Studies in Communication:

Como acontece no Brasil, a webradio vem ganhando forc¸ a e presenc¸ a em Portugal, ao contrário do rádio digital, que apenas engatinha.

In translation, I get:

As in Brazil, webradio is gaining strength and presence in Portugal, as opposed to digital radio, which just crawls.

Given my lack of Portuguese, I’m still working my way through the rest of the article….

Posted in Digital Audio, Online communication | No Comments »

AFL-CIO weighs in on broadcast royalties

The AFL-CIO has come out in favour of the Performance Rights Act, which would introduce performance royalty fees for broadcasters in the United States.

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Station start-up resources

Many years ago now, I sketched out notes for starting up a community radio station in Ireland, based on my experiences, and in response to queries from many people looking for assistance either with class projects, or real-life station development issues. I haven’t had time in recent years to work on the many revisions that document needs, but I am coming across more information to guide those engaged in this process. Most recently, these notes from Farm Radio International, which in turn points to many valuable resources available online. Check it out!

Posted in Alternative Media, Radio | No Comments »

The trouble with virtual economies on Facebook

There’s been a spate of interesting articles in the past few days, about scams operated by and through Farmville (and similar applications), and now Facebook clamping down on groups that ’sell’ fans to those wishing to increase their numbers.

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Audio from GEO events

Joe Feria-Galicia has done awesome coverage of the recent GEO events, and he has created an MP3 with his raw audio:MP3

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GEO wins tuition waiver security! Pickets suspended!

In a successful 2-day strike – the first by a union local at the University of Illinois in 10-years, and one of the largest in the history of graduate unions in the US – the GEO has secured a commitment to retain tuition waivers for graduate employees. The University had previously refused to commit to retaining them for the contract period, after considering removing them for certain graduate employees earlier this Spring, as well as actually pulling them (mid-year) from undergrad assistants just a few weeks ago.

This strike, over waivers, which are a necessary element of making grad school accessible to those other than the wealthy (and, in Illinois, the well-connected), is clearly situated in a broader context of struggles over the future of public education, as recognized by Amy Goodman on today’sDemocracy Now!, where she was talking, in California, with some of those engaged in the struggle (with credit to Rich Potter of the GEO for making contact with Amy over this issue):

AMY GOODMAN: And Professor Roy, maybe you can comment on this and what is happening at the same time here at home with the state budgets, with our educational system. UC Berkeley is not the only one going through this. For example, the news from the University of Champaign-Urbana in Illinois: apparently, in this last week—let’s see if I can find the information—graduate teaching assistants at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign went on strike yesterday after the university refused to guarantee continuation of the teaching and grad assistant tuition waivers.

Strikes have many elements. There’s the ‘above the fold’ part, the most visible: the pickets, the rallies, and (in the case of the GEO) an amazing drum corps. There’s the bargaining: tedious, important in the formal process of getting an agreement that lets the strike come to an end. And then there’s so much background work. The people who planned and organized: both over the past months, and the many years of activism, work, and sacrifice that brought the union into being and made this week’s action possible, not only necessary. The people churning out press releases and materials, taking care of the administrative overhead and much more. Congratulations to my colleagues, my comrades, at the GEO, IFT/AFT 6300, for their success this week.

Posted in Education, Income and poverty, Labour issues, Political activism | No Comments »

GEO strikes – and seeks help from YOU!

My old grad union (still feels funny to frame it that way) is going on strike in the morning, after they failed to reach agreement with the University of Illinois. The sticking point in the end turned out to be tuition waivers – the University wanted the right to remove them from out-of-state students, something that would make graduate education unaffordable for many, and make the University far less competitive. The union had made concessions on other areas – including being amenable to a proposed raise of just 10% over three years, even though that would leave grads continuing to earn far below a living wage – but the University refused to budge on this last issue.

As GEO members head out on the picket line, the union is looking for help from supporters around the country – specifically phone calls to top administrators. The union will be meeting with administrators on Tuesday, so a successful two-day picket, coupled with calls from supporters, could just provide the momentum needed to get this thing finished. Here’s what the union has sent out: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Call to action: Call the U of I this Wednesday, and support graduate employees

This Thursday, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees will meet in Springfield. Members of the GEO will be there to remind them of the urgency of reaching agreement on a fair contract. You may not be able to be in Springfield, but you can play your part in persuading the University’s administrators of the importance of meeting the needs of graduate employees.

Graduate employees have been working without a contract since August, as the University offered regressive proposals in response to the union’s call for a living wage, protection for tuition waivers, and improved conditions for families. In recent meetings, as the threat of a strike has increased, the GEO has reached tentative agreements on a number of items, but the administration continues to refuse both a living wage and a guarantee that tuition waivers will continue to be a condition of employment. [The University tried to unilaterally remove waivers from those on 25% appointments earlier this year.]

Call Interim Provost Robert Easter and new BoT chair Christopher Kennedy this Wednesday, and urge them to reach a fair contract with the GEO. Then pass this message to colleagues and friends.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 11

WHERE TO CALL:
Interim Provost Easter: (217) 244-4545
Christopher Kennedy: (312) 527-7890 x7890

WHAT TO SAY:
It’s useful if you can put your message in your own words, but the following provides a basic template for you to use. (My text suggests leaving a message, but if you can talk directly with these men, even better.) Remember, what’s most important is that the message of support for the GEO position be communicated to administrators.

Hello, my name is __________. I’m a graduate of the University of Illinois, and I’d like to leave a message for [Provost Easter/Mr Kennedy.]

I want to urge him to reach a fair agreement with the Graduate Employees Organization, and ensure that graduate employees, who teach a quarter of classes at the University, receive a living wage.

Thank you.

OTHER POINTS YOU MAY WANT TO USE:
Graduate employees have voted for strike action, but there is still time to avoid that if the administration engages positively with the wage concerns of those employees.

The campus budget grew by 7% in FY09, but the percentage devoted to instruction grew by only 0.8%. I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that the university lives up to its responsibilities as a land grant institution that serves the public good and is committed to high quality instruction and research.

The public higher education system has a responsibility to ensure accessibility to all. The GEO’s requests for  a living wage, secured tuition waivers, better health care, and better support for working parents, would increase access to graduate education and would also improve the quality of instruction and research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Posted in Education, Labour issues, Political activism | No Comments »

US healthcare debate trundles on

My ICR colleague Andrew Kennis has a fairly comprehensive overview of the US healthcare situation at Al Jazeera.net, drawing in part on an interview with Wendell Potter, but with far more facts and figures, from a range of sources, drawn together. A good primer for those who’ve been out of the loop so far.

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