Executive Board and Delegate Elections: Candidate Statements
Candidate for Vice President:
Kess Ballentine
Kess Ballentine
I believe active union membership is a powerful mechanism to create and protect high quality jobs. I began union organizing in 2016 as an member of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee at the University of Pittsburgh. Under the guidance of United Steelworkers organizers, I received comprehensive training in organizing, meeting facilitation, and social action.
In this capacity, I spearheaded one-on-one interactions and organizing efforts for my department, representing School of Social Work student workers (~30 members, average of 5 new workers per year). I also played a key role in organizing initiatives within the Psychology and Education Departments. During the pandemic, I led a petition to expand job security for graduate student workers, accumulating over 700 signatures within our unit of around 1200 individuals.
Over the past eight years, I have collaborated with unions in Pittsburgh and Detroit, utilizing research to identify workers' needs and priorities to promote change. Along with my coresearchers, I discussed this process our recent article, "Using Research to Build Power: The Pittsburgh Wage Study." Since joining WAU and the WSU faculty August 2021, I have actively contributed as the Secretary for the WSU Coalition of Unions, a union representative for my School, and the designer and deliverer of the monthly Union Council Newsletter. Additionally, I participated in organizing an event addressing utility concerns in winter 2023. As the WAU Executive Board VP, I commit to promoting a transparent and active union that serves our membership and is responsive to the needs of our broader community.
Since entering the VP position through a special election this winter, I wasted no time increasing my work to support a strong union. As the new chair of organizing, I am working daily with members and our staff to build sustainable organizing processes to further strengthen our union for bargaining and for the years to come. In the last few months, I have begun developing sustainable pathways for up- and down-stream communication, provided trainings and resources to members to build organizing skills, expanded opportunities for meaningful union engagement, met with various subcommittees and leaders to better understand the goals and needs of our members, and worked with the communications and bargaining teams to support negotiations. If elected, I will continue to work diligently to build union infrastructure toward an even stronger union that can stand in solidarity with students and leaders across our community to stand for equity, justice, and shared governance.
Candidate for Treasurer:
Ali Salamey
Ali Salamey
I grew up in a Union home; my father was a member of the UAW during his career working on the assembly line at Ford Motor Company for 30 years. I have seen firsthand how critical unions are for securing, maintaining, and protecting workers' rights. During the last few years, I have been active in our Union at Wayne State University in several capacities. I was on the Impact Bargaining Committee and the 2N Committee that worked on the Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) policy as a representative for academic staff in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Currently, I am on the Contract Bargaining Team that will be negotiating a new contract for Wayne Academic Union (WAU) membership in summer 2024. My time on these committees has reaffirmed for me what I often heard growing up in a Union home: in greater numbers and with solidarity in a cause we can get more things done. This is a firm conviction that I have; I believe that we can do the most good with our shared goals and values. An additional personal goal I have in running for a position on the WAU Executive Board is to ensure that our Board is an inclusive and welcoming elected body that represents all its membership.
I joined Academic Staff at WSU in 2013 as an Academic Services Officer III in the Honors College. I secured ESS in 2018 and I was promoted to ASO IV in 2023. In the process of getting ESS and a promotion, I saw the dedicated work that WAU does for us. Also, during my time on the Contract Bargaining Team this year (2023-2024) I have heard from many of our members about the issues that are important to them and the level of professionalism they bring to work every day. I want to be an advocate for those priorities and to support new ways for our membership to achieve their professional and personal goals. In addition, I am a longtime member of the WSU academic community. I completed my BA in English as an undergraduate through the Honors Program at WSU. I have an MA in English from New York University and an MA in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. Some highlights from my tenure at WSU: I have served on the Academic Senate for five years; I’ve been on two College Review committees; I have been on several University-wide committees; I have taught seminars in the Honors College since 2013; and I have been on the Academic Affairs, Curriculum and Instruction, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committees of the Senate.
Candidates for Member-at-Large:
Anglesia Brown
Meghan McGowan
Anglesia Brown
Greetings,
My name is Anglesia Brown, and I have been a member of the Wayne State University community since May of 2017, serving as an Academic Services Officer II. Over the years, I have been dedicated to the Department of English, progressing to the role of ASO III and earning Employment Security Status (ESS). In this capacity, I act as the Department’s Human Resources Liaison, overseeing teaching assignments, HR onboarding, and contract renewals. I have spearheaded the implementation of new systems and processes to streamline office functions. Additionally, I collaborate with the Department’s course scheduling committee to input course schedules and monitor enrollments effectively.
At Wayne State University, I am deeply involved both within my department and the wider community. In 2019, I was honored to be selected as a participant in the inaugural Academic Leadership Academy. Currently, I serve as a committee member on several vital boards, including the Department of English Policy Committee, Academic Staff Selective Salary Committee, Parking Committee, ASPDC, and ASCC. Previously, I chaired the EAA (Improvement of the Scholarship of Advising) Committee and served as a committee member for Welcome Black.
Recently, I earned a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the College of Education a.
I am committed to continuing my service as a member at large because of my passion for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the workplace. I am also eager to contribute to safeguarding our union rights, advancing professional development opportunities, and advocating for the continuation of flexible work arrangements (FWA).
Meghan McGowan
I am running for member-at-large because we deserve a reasonable and healthy working environment that honors our efforts and for which we are compensated accordingly. We cannot achieve this without building and maintaining a strong union.
In my role as a librarian at Wayne State, I am fortunate to regularly interact with students, community members, staff, and faculty in the course of my day-to-day work. This uniquely positions me to continue to build relationships across our bargaining unit and advocate for our members. In my time at Wayne State, I have been an active council representative and I am involved in the Bargaining for the Common Good subcommittee. In addition to my work within WAU, I received union training via Organizing for Power: Core Fundamentals and prior to my employment at Wayne State, I was involved in my union as a librarian in the Detroit Public Library system. As my parents were both active in their unions as a firefighter and a teacher, it has never been an option for me to not do my part in my communities.
If I am elected as a member-at-large, I commit to working toward an increasingly transparent union that is welcoming and responsive to member needs.
Candidates for Delegates to 2024 AAUP Biennial Meeting (choose 4):
Zainab Bibi Ahmed
Danielle Aubert
Kess Ballentine
Randon Jenkins
Kristen Kaszeta
Zainab Bibi Ahmed
I believe in the purpose of this union ever since I became a member in March 2020. I strongly believe that the members of the union should be respected by the University's leadership. Whether we are Staff or Faculty, we have a vital role in the success of our students and the University itself. Everyone in this union works hard with a sincere heart when it comes to working with students and other colleagues of the University, myself included. Our individual success leads to the overall success of our teams and other colleagues as well.
Danielle Aubert
I plan to attend the AAUP Biennial Meeting as WAU President, and I would like to serve as a delegate in order to vote on behalf of our local. I am active nationally and regionally, as a representative to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Higher Education Policy and Program Committee, and the Michigan board of the AFT. I look forward to being at the meeting, and seek your support so that I can serve as a chapter delegate.
Kess Ballentine
As the current VP of WAU, I am happy to represent our union as a voting delegate at the AAUP Biennial Meeting. Our participation in AAUP at the national level is important for securing national solidarity to protect higher education in a climate of divestment and devaluation.
Randon Jenkins
As a new Council Representative, I'm excited to learn more about our union processes. The best learning experiences come from actual experiences, and serving as a delegate will allow me to gain vital experience in carrying out these duties, and future leadership duties. As your delegate I will vote according to our members wishes and what best aligns with our WAU agenda.
Kristen Kaszeta
As a contingent non-tenure track faculty member, I found our union activities supportive. However, I see ongoing threats to my position as a contingent employee as higher education claims austerity measures. Further, it can be difficult to advocate and display real power from a position of precarity. I see the issues and arguments from the administration as part of a larger attack on academia and I want to learn and connect with like-minded individuals.
Candidate for Delegate to 2024 AFT National Convention (choose 1):
Christine Knapp
l will be attending the upcoming AFT Michigan Convention in Detroit and would like to further develop my knowledge about contract and education-specific union issues at the national level at the AFT Convention in Houston. I've been actively involved with WAU in various roles since 2017. I'm the current Contract Implementation Officer for Faculty and a member of the Bargaining Team.