Good Adjuncts:

We had solid moderate turnouts for events both at Mesa and Southwestern.

We had approximately 60+ attendees for the Mesa event, which may seem small, but these were actual attendees, not simply walkbys.  The reception was strong.

Southwestern College had around 80-100 attendees, with more walkbys due to the high traffic location of the event.

In total we have collected 200+ letters in support of A1690, and around 160-180 signatures in support of the Prop 30 extension.

These rallies were not intended as the thing themselves, which was more or less what last year’s rallies were, but more or less kick off events for campaigns through the Spring, up to Campus Equity Week in the Fall, and then the election.

And of course, after that dust settles, and hopefully in our favor, the cycle begins again.

We in San Diego have not lost our enthusiasm in fighting for the adjunct cause because the great walkout of 2015 never materialized.  That was always a media ruse and quite honestly, not realistic given the challenges of adjunct organizing.  Could such an action happen in the future?  Well, if it were to, there would need to be  a greater depth of organizing and commitment than presently exists.

Adjunct Action Day, or National Adjunct Walkout Day, or whatever you want to call it, can become a vehicle that leads to that, provided people continue to do it, and build it as an institution.

Ultimately, however, the goal isn’t to have a walkout–it’s to end educational exploitation and the devaluing of education, as well as to end the excessive use of contingent or part-time hiring practices, not just in education, but throughout a world economy.  I think the phrase “People before profits” best sums it up.

Today, between the loads of papers I have to catch up on, I’m still going to be pushing letters, petitions, and doing all the things we have to do to get where things need to be.

If you truly want to succeed in making the change, you’re going to have to get out there too.  It’s hard, it’s tiring, you’ll piss your family off because you’re not spending time with them.  Sometimes people will tell you the quest is futile, or at other times, you’ll be called a lackey or sell-out because you might, heaven forbid, actually try to work with full-timers or administration.

Always know yourself in these instances, because it’s to easy to walk away, and it’s the last thing you should do.

Keep it real good adjuncts, because you are essential.

Geoff Johnson

A “Good” Adjunct