An Open Letter To President Herbst STATE SENATE Graduate Employee Union / UAW Donald Williams, President Pro Tempore (GEU / UAW) Martin Looney, Majority Leader STATEMENT OF SUPPORT Andres Ayala, 23rd We, the undersigned, support the right of graduate research and teaching assistants to establish their Danté Bartolomeo, 13th union, Graduate Employee Union/UAW (GEU/ UAW), and engage in collective bargaining with the Beth Bye, 5th University of Connecticut (UCONN). Steven Cassano, 4th UCONN graduate employees play a critical role in Eric Coleman, 2nd maintaining quality and access to Connecticut’s system of higher education. By teaching thousands Joe Crisco, 17th of undergraduates and conducting innovative research, they make UCONN a highly sought after John Fonfara, 1st college for thousands of prospective students, help Terry Gerratana, 6th fuel UCONN’s growing reputation as a research power house and stimulate the state’s economy by Gary Holder-Winfield, 10th attracting grant and contract revenue. Carlo Leone, 27th In forming their union, UCONN graduate Andrew Maynard, 18th employees join research and teaching assistants at more than 60 university campuses across the United Edward Meyer, 12th States, as well as thousands of UCONN employees who already engage in collective bargaining. Anthony Musto, 22nd Catherine Osten, 19th We understand that, to date, UCONN has not interfered with graduate employees’ efforts to unionize. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES We urge UCONN administration to continue to Brendan Sharkey, Speaker of the House remain neutral, refrain from any delay tactics and allow the process to move forward quickly under the Joe Aresimowicz, Majority Leader rules and practices of the State labor board. Catherine Abercrombie, 83rd James Albis, 99th Rick Lopes, 24th Angel Arce, 4th Geoff Luxenberg, 12th David Arconti, 109th Doug McCrory, 7th David Baram, 15th Robert Megna, 97th Brian Becker, 19th Patricia Billie Miller, 145th Timothy Bowles, 42nd Philip Miller, 36th Juan Candelaria, 95th Russ Morin, 28th Theresa Conroy, 105th Edward Moukawsher, 40th Victor Cuevas, 75th Mary Mushinsky, 85th Mike Demicco, 21st Sandy Nafis, 27th Pat Dillon, 92nd Frank Nicastro, 79th Lou Esposito, 116th Linda Orange, 48th Andrew Fleischmann, 18th Emmett Riley, 46th Mae Flexer, 44nd Betsy Ritter, 38th Matt Ritter, 1st Henry Genga, 10th Kevin Ryan, 139th Robert Godfrey, 110th Bobby Sanchez, 25th Ezequiel Santiago, 130th Antonio Guerrera, 29th Hilda Santiago, 84th Gregory Haddad, 54th Peggy Sayers, 60th Peter Tercyak, 26th John Hampton, 16th William Tong, 147th Ernest Hewett, 39th Diana Urban, 43rd Susan Johnson, 49th Edwin Vargas, 6th Joe Verrengia, 20th David Kiner, 59th Tom Vicino, 35th Roland Lemar, 96th Toni Walker, 93rd Matt Lesser, 100th David Zoni, 81st .