Tom Anderson

Template:TOCnestleft Tom Anderson is a Tennessee activist.

Fighting outsourcing

Jon Shefner April 16, 2017 ·

Tried to share a post now that is a year old - showing how long and hard we've worked against outsourcing. I couldn't make it work, because apparently I am a FB moron. But this is important to say: We've done it all - in the legislature and in the streets, with our allies and on our own. And not only are we not finished, we are stronger than ever, in Knoxville and across the state. I am so proud of working with Cassie Watters, Melanie Barron, Jayanni Elizabeth, Tom Anderson, Tom Smith, Thomas Wayne Walker, Ed McDaniel, Josh Smyser, Diana Moyer, Jeffrey Lichtenstein, Sarah Eldridge, Fran Ansley, Jim Sessions, Jason Dawsey, Bob Hutton, Troy Smith, JB and everyone I may have left off. I looked at the post from a year ago - and I'm pissed. We've worked really hard at this against a governor who has no reason to outsource other than to attack working people. No data confirms his plan, no need drives it, and no truth is behind it . C'mon April 24, and every other day of struggle until we win! Goddamnit, we are not done yet!

PSA/UCW protest

On Friday, 30 2013, members of United Campus Workers and Progressive Student Alliance banded together in front of the Torchbearer in protest, stopping some students walking to class in their tracks.

An expression of several goals related to worker's rights, the rally espoused current UCW initiatives such as raising salaries to a livable wage.

"There's no code of conduct for supervisors on how they treat the employees beneath them," Thomas Walker, an employee of disability services and a member of UCW's executive board, said. "So if you want to scream at an employee in front of a bunch of people, that can happen and you won't get in trouble."

Missy Murray, the woman who sparked the We Miss Missy campaign, underwent similar strife. After working for Facilities Services for five years, she was unexpectedly moved to the Athletics Department where she had worked for eight months.

The athletics building has a reputation among maintenance workers for having harsh and undesirable working conditions.

"Athletics runs 24/7, so that means you might be working Saturday and Sunday," Gary Thomas, who resigned from his job cleaning Dougherty Engineering Building due to a disability said. "Athletics is where they send you when they want you to quit."

One of five facilities employees that raised their concerns at the "Justice for UT Custodians Speakout" in May of this year, Murray claimed harassment and bullying in the workplace.

Despite a multitude of lingering issues, Murray was moved back to McClung Museum, where she "absolutely loved" working until her termination. She was fired on the grounds of "absenteeism," which, Murray claims, was unfounded.

Forced transfers without sufficient notice ceased as a result of the Speakout and a transfer policy was established to prevent retaliatory transfers based on the worker's relationship with his or her supervisor, according to Tom Anderson, the President of United Campus Workers.

UT students, particularly those involved with PSA, have taken a strong interest in the well being of facilities workers, attending the rally in a show of solidarity.

"The students are the real vessels for this," Jasmine Taylor, a member of Progressive Student Alliance and a speaker at Friday's rally said. "We are the ones who can really carry on the power, because what is a university without its students? And we're trying to pull up our workers, because who are we without them?"

Anti-Haslam protest

Tom Anderson provides for his family ‘paycheck to paycheck’ and now fears he might have to pay double for health insurance.

Anderson, a facilities services worker at the University of Tennessee, joined UT students and other campus workers as they protested Friday against a bill to cut state workers’ health benefits.

The protest, organized by the United Campus Workers and UT’s Progressive Student Alliance in conjunction with United Students Against Sweatshops, was held in response to Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed changes to state workers’ health benefits. About 100 people from the various groups turned out for the joint rally in front of the Haslam College of Business.

According to Haslam spokesman David Smith, the proposed legislation “aims to address the rising state employee retirement health care costs and give the state flexibility to offer more competitive total compensation packages and to design benefits for state employees.”

Feroza Freeland, a freshman at UT and a member of the Progressive Student Alliance, said the group fights for a living wage for all campus workers, against cuts to higher education funding and against tuition increases for students.

“I hope (UT workers) feel the support that we stand with them — that this is all of our struggle,” Freeland said. “We in a few years are going to be joining this work force, and we could very well be facing the same thing these workers are facing right now.”?

Twelve-year UT employee Susan Williams, an administrative specialist in the Philosophy Department, said the benefits of her job compensate for not making what she considers a living wage. She said many UT workers are approaching retirement age, and the proposed changes would “attract less quality people to the jobs.”

DSA Labor Statement of Support for Danny Fetonte

In August 2017 a group of Democratic Socialists of America labor activists issued a joint statement of support for newly elected DSA NPC member Danny Fetonte. The group was fighting back against other DSAers wanting to remove Fetonte for his past work for a Texas law enforcement union.

Signatories included Tom Anderson, founder member and past president UCW/Communication Workers of America 3865. Democratic Socialists of America member one year.

References

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