TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2009
Professors' group defends TESC Labor Center
Evergreen's own auditor had sided with right-wing ideological attack

Earlier this year, the administration of The Evergreen State College, one of the most progressive colleges in the country, sided with a right-wing ideological foundation seeking to defund schools devoted to labor education and concluded that the fundamental mission of TESC's Labor Education and Research Center was illegal and unethical. Since that time, the Labor Center's budget has been slashed.

The American Association of University Professors has now issued a statement condemning the TESC's audit, saying it "appears to suggest that any effort to educate workers and immigrants about their constitutional rights would be counter to the public interest. Such interpretations not only lack face validity, they run counter to the concept of academic freedom, of both individual professionals as well as of the university."

Peter Kardas, Director of the Labor Education and Research Center of The Evergreen State College, sent the following e-mail update:

Friends and allies of the Labor Center:

You may recall the message I sent out back in February concerning an audit of the Labor Center done by Evergreen’s own auditor in response to a request from the Landmark Legal Foundation (aka Ronald Reagan Legal Center). Landmark had accused the Labor Center of promoting a particular political ideology and serving no valid public purpose, and the auditor had supported Landmark’s claim by finding us in violation of state ethics laws because we work with private entities, i.e. labor unions. 

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has reviewed Landmark’s attacks on labor centers around the country and issued a statement about the importance of college/ university administrators defending educators from these sorts of ideological attacks. Key paragraphs pertaining to Evergreen are the following:

"It appears that most universities have responded to Landmark’s requests in ways that defended the rights of labor centers. However, at Evergreen, despite the fact that the state auditor gave the college significant flexibility in how to handle the audit request, college administrators went forward with a review – conducted by the college’s internal auditor – that raised questions about the ethics of providing educational services to unions and community groups (for example, of immigrant communities), and of being involved in any work that could be seen as opposing the work of federal agencies (in this case, for example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Those questions mirrored charges made by Landmark that "the Center’s focus appears to be increasingly directed toward thwarting federal and state law enforcement efforts to combat illegal immigration in Washington . . . . The use of public funds to undermine federal and local law enforcement in the performance of their duties is not a valid public purpose.

"The claim, as applied to the Labor Center’s activities, appears to suggest that any effort to educate workers and immigrants about their constitutional rights would be counter to the public interest. Such interpretations not only lack face validity, they run counter to the concept of academic freedom, of both individual professionals as well as of the university. They run counter, as well, to conceptions of academics and academic institutions responsibly providing services to society. If academics and universities are involved in community outreach and service, as they should be, they must be protected from ideologically motivated attacks on their academic work (emphasis added). That dimension of academic freedom is part of the contribution of this concept and condition to the benefit of society."

For folks who are not familiar with the AAUP, the following paragraphs from the organization’s mission statement provide an introduction:

"The mission of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is to advance academic freedom and shared governance, to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education, and to ensure higher education's contribution to the common good. Founded in 1915, the AAUP has helped to shape American higher education by developing the standards and procedures that maintain quality in education and academic freedom in this country's colleges and universities.

"Membership in the national organization is open to all faculty, librarians, and academic professionals at two- and four-year accredited public and private colleges and universities. Current membership is about 45,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations. Leadership is provided by bi-annually elected national officers drawn from colleges and universities throughout the country. The Association is governed by an elected national Council that meets twice a year, and by an Executive Committee that meets four times a year."

The AAUP statement is attached.

In solidarity,

Peter Kardas, Director
Labor Center
The Evergreen State College 
KardasP@evergreen.edu  

The Washington State Labor Council has urged union organizations to make generous contributions to TESC's Labor Center so it can continue its important work. Click here to find out how you can help. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2009
Leadership workshop for unionists of color Nov. 7

Our workforce and our labor movement are made up of many different faces and we are strongest when we speak with one voice. To rebuild our strength, the labor movement must embrace and reflect the diversity of our workforce and our membership. We must provide our members with the leadership skills to restore opportunity and justice at our workplaces and in society.

To this end, the Diversity Committee of the Washington State Labor Council and the Labor Education and Research Center of The Evergreen State College invite all WSLC-affiliated unions to send rank-and-file and staff members to a Leadership Development Workshop for Unionists of Color to be held Saturday, Nov. 7 at South Seattle Community College's Georgetown Campus, Bldg. C, 6737 Corson Ave. S.

Come learn about the political economy of Washington state, changing workforce demographics, leadership qualities and skills, lessons from state labor history, and more. Registration is $75 per participant, which includes lunch and materials.

Download a flier/registration form. For more information, contact Juan Jose Bocanegra at 360-918-2726.

^{Copyright © 2009 --  Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO}