HGSU-UAW Executive Board

Executive Board

HGSU’s Executive Board, composed of nine of your fellow student workers, is primarily responsible for ensuring that membership decisions are duly executed. The Executive Board also oversees the day-to-day operations of our Union by keeping us informed during General Membership Meetings, managing staff and finances, and enforcing our contract rights to ensure our Union is strong and running smoothly.

Each and every board member has been integral to our fight for a safe and just campus for student workers, and brings a distinct set of skills, expertise and organizing experience that will inform their work and build our union.

President

Bailey Plaman

G4, Chemical Biology

they/she

president@hgsu.org, baileyplaman@gmail.com
As a longstanding member of HGSU’s Feminist Working Group, I have largely focused on how to build protections for student workers against harassment and discrimination – both contractually and through tapping into to a community of graduate students, staff, undergraduates, faculty, and alumni that are all interested in seeing better protections and policies. Much of that work has been focused on Title IX policies and procedures, but newly centralized policies about bullying and other forms of harassment and discrimination will go in effect in the fall, so I’m looking forward to including those policies into our efforts. Harassment and discrimination disproportionately affect those that already face inequities in US society at large (BIPOC folks, queer folks, folks with disabilities, & other intersecting identities), so fighting for these protections is something I’m very passionate about. If you are interested in organizing around this, please reach out to hgsu.fwg@gmail.com. I recognize that in order to continue to push for these goals, we need a strong union – as an executive board member I am ready to center the issues and goals that will build our power ahead of bargaining for a contract that includes these protections.
  • Favorite Crayon Color: Wild Blue Yonder
  • HGSU Social Idea: ART SALE, or plant/clothing swap
  • Embarrassing Teenage Fashion Choice: A regrettable form-fitting-tank-top and oversized basketball shorts phase in middle school
  • Podcast Recommendation: Sensual Self w/ Ev’Yan Whitney
     

     

Vice President

Sal Suri

G4, History of Science

they/them

I’m most passionate about ensuring that our workplaces are equitable and safe for all workers at Harvard – on the union side, this means working towards a more protective and expansive contract that includes real recourse, a closed union shop, and racial justice. I’m also really excited to see a resurgence in rank-and-file organizing, and intend to help build structures in our union that reinforce and encourage members to engage in the union on issues that are most important to them. The role of Vice President in HGSU has historically been somewhat flexible, and primarily exists to support the President and other members of the Executive Board on various projects. For my tenure as VP, I plan to focus on helping prepare our unit to bargain our next contract! This includes basebuilding, activating members around issues that are important to them, and identifying key issues in the current contract that we want to focus on improving in the next one.

  • Favorite Crayon Color: Macaroni and Cheese
  • Podcast Recommendation: The Classroom and the Cell by Mumia Abu-Jamal and Marc Lamont Hill

Financial Secretary

Ryan McMillan

G3, Biophysics

he/him

hgsu.finance@gmail.com
I first got involved with HGSU via the Finance and Benefits Committee during my G1 year. I’ve worked as a case worker for benefits applicants across diverse areas of the union and, more recently, have also been involved in the policy writing and financial planning aspects of FBC. Seeing how much members appreciated the benefits HGSU fought for is the most rewarding experience I’ve had in graduate school.
  • Favorite Crayon Color: Macaroni and cheese
  • Embarrassing Teenage Fashion Choice: Cargo shorts all day every day
  • HGSU Mascot Proposal: Larry Bacow’s dissertation
  • Podcast Recommendation: Radiolab!

Recording Secretary

Clare Canavan

 

G6, Chemical Biology

she/her

hgsu.records@gmail.com

As Recording Secretary, I’m responsible for keeping records of meeting minutes and motions, as well as maintaining communications with membership about union news and events. I want to make sure that HGSU’s records are transparent and accessible so our documentation will be able to keep members engaged and up to date with important union issues even if they can’t make every meeting. I also want to use our meeting records and communications with membership to inform decisions about our union’s priorities as we move towards bargaining for a new contract. My first experiences in the union were with the Feminist Working Group, which focuses on intersectional feminist goals and fighting towards real recourse for survivors of harassment and discrimination. I’m still very passionate about this work. I want to advocate for real recourse through pushing for stronger contract language, staunchly enforcing our contractual rights, and collectively imagining and organizing towards a safer campus.

  • Adhesive Most Identified With: Fashion tape (holding it all together for the look)
  • HGSU Social Idea: Line dancing
  • Embarrassing Teenage Fashion Choice: Skirt as a tube top paired with skirt as a skirt
  • Go-to Rally Chant: If we don’t get it, SHUT IT DOWN!

Guide

Ricky Sanchez

G4, Caribbean and Chicana Theatre in the U.S.

she/they

Hgsu.guide@gmail.com

 

 

My role as guide is to work with staff to ensure the best organizing outcomes. Currently, my eyes are set on bargaining for our next contract and making sure we have the collective power to fight for everything that we deserve. To me this looks like building a strong base of leaders from all parts of our unit by working with current leaders and organizers to build our power. I am most passionate about making sure that students are able to survive on the compensation that they receive for their work, especially given the severity of the cost of living gap that Harvard has maintained for too long. I am also passionate about bringing Harvard up to the union standard on all rights based issues including a grievance procedure for Article 7 which covers harassment and discrimination, which we know too well on our campus.

  • Adhesive Most Identified With: packing tape because when I’m right for the job i’m great, but sometimes i just kind of collapse in on myself like a mess
  • HGSU Social Idea: 90s. always. with temp tattoos and sideways hats and blow pops, duh.
  • Embarrassing Teenage Fashion Choice: the worst part was how much i loved an oversized belt
  • Podcast Recommendation: Code Switch

Trustee

Sudipta Saha

G4, Population Health Sciences

he/him

ssaha@g.harvard.edu
I am passionate about contributing to a union that is not only concerned about material gains for workers in the form of higher wages and benefits, but one that is also more politically engaged. I hope to be part of building a more militant union that is very involved in the broader labor movement and in internationalist causes such as Palestinian liberation. As the trustee of the union, I am primarily responsible for all funds and property, and conducting audits of the union. I also take up other projects as needed, especially relating to bylaws and coordinating general membership meetings.
  • Adhesive Most Identified With: wheatpaste
  • HGSU Social Idea: Halloween Party named “A Spectre is Haunting Harvard”
  • HGSU Mascot Proposal: A spectre
  • Podcast Recommendation: The Dig

Sergeant-at-Arms

Sara Speller

G3, Music Historiography and Theory

she/they

sergeant-at-arms@hgsu.org
I am extremely passionate about equity, social health, and and relational organizing within the union. As sergeant at arms, I check membership and tally votes at union meetings, aid CEEC with grievances and arbitration cases, and support the rest of the E-Board with tasks as needed. I’m so excited to work with our rank-and-file and E-board members to build a flourishing community of workers in solidarity, and to bargain a new contract which reflects that!
  • Favorite Crayon Color: Radical Red
  • HGSU Mascot Idea: A really strong rainbow
  • Podcast Recommendation: The Magnificast
  • Go-to Rally Chant: No justice No peace No dental No Teeth

Member-at-Large

Georgia Dittemore

G2, Chemical Biology

she/her

georgiadittemore@g.harvard.edu
I assist with the day-to-day operations of the union alongside the other executive board members by participating in planning meetings, organizing, helping run orientations and steward trainings, and helping maintain our social media. I am most passionate about social justice (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and continuing to fight for better wages and benefits for all student workers. I hope to stimulate engagement and excitement for the union among other student workers and continue to build our organizing power as we enter our upcoming period of bargaining and contract negotiations.
  • Favorite Crayon Color: Razzmatazz
  • HGSU Mascot Idea: All of our cats

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Contact us

  • (617) 475-0677
  • general@hgsu.org
  • 552 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 209 Cambridge, MA 02139

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