The SLU Student Union

Tania Caldwell, BA in Urban and Community Studies, Running for Secretary

My name is Tania Caldwell; presently, I am persuading my Bachelor of Art in Urban and Community Studies. I received the Diversity Scholarship Award in 2020.  I came to SLU (School of Labor and Urban) in spring 2020 as part of the Community Leadership Semester program, which allowed me to work as an intern in the Northern Manhattan Coalition for immigrants’ Rights. My passion for servicing others motivated me to learn more about labor and community organizing, focusing on immigrants’ rights. Once I graduate, I would like to continue my education in the urban sociology field. As my career goal, I would like to work nonprofit organization sector to service and support immigrants’ workers.    I would like to be part of the SLU Student Union as secretary, to support SLU students, to bring the need of my classmates to the forefront. My role as a student is to represent and promote students’ diversity. 

Theresa Ramos-Villega, MA in Urban Studies, running for Co-Chair

My name is Theresa Ramos-Villega, I’m a mother of six beautiful children.  I am Puerto Rican but considered NYRican by my parents and ancestors because I was born and raised in NYC.  I currently work with NYC Health & Hospitals at Metropolitan Hospital for 21+ years.  In 2006, I started representing the members of Local 1549 Clerical Division as a Shop Steward.  The members nominated me as their Chief Shop Steward, delegate and in 2017 as the Chapter Chair for Local 1549 Health & Hospitals.  I sit as the recording secretary for the Labor Caucus Committee and being considered to accept nomination as Chair for the Joint Labor Management Committee.  The passion that I have to help those in need, has provided me the opportunity to grow within the union. The members believe in me and I advocate for them.  I am the voice of the workers who are too afraid to speak up.  I have dedicated myself not only to my children but to my education and will continue to be an advocate for minorities who wish to better themselves through education.  I studied at the formerly known Joseph S. Murphy in 2015, and I currently attend CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies in the Master of Arts degree in Labor Studies.  I look forward to also representing the students at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies if nominated as one of the Co-Chairs.

Marlon Bailey, MA in Urban Studies, running for Co-Chair

My name is Marlon Bailey and I am an Urban Studies Masters student finishing up my second semester at SLU.  I am running to be Co-Chair of SLU’s Student Union and I have previous experience in student government at Queens College. Being an immigrant born in Jamaica, West Indies, I am properly suited to understand the immigration issues facing my fellow SLU students, due to my personal experience in going through the immigration process myself. At Queens College, serving as Vice President of the Evening and Weekend Student Network (EWSN) from 2019-2020, I successfully lobbied for the expansion of Queens College library opening and operational hours from 10am-5pm to 10am-8pm.  As a member of the Black Male Initiative, and a CUNY Ambassador, I was part of the first cohort to Study Abroad in Germany, an experience that has further widened my perspective of education. My love of chess led me to form the Jamaican Knights Chess club for 3-12 grade public school students in district 29 Queens. I myself am an active student at SLU and use SLU’s student support services as one way of understanding how SLU can prepare their students for their academic and professional goals. I am interested in working with the SLU Student body to facilitate  change academically that will allow students at SLU to excel without hinderance such as finance or immigration status.

Nicolas Pineda, MA in Labor Studies, Running for Steering Committee

I am currently a member of the student union and am seeking re-election.  We have only just begun our work in organizing and ensuring that students’ voices are represented within SLU and CUNY.  You have seen us in your classrooms trying to get you to vote.  You have seen us via e-mail keeping you updated of our progress.  Now, we are asking you to vote again in order to fill some seats that are opening up in the Student Union so that we can continue our work.  As a SLU student, I seek to ensure that the marginalized are centered.  I seek to ensure that we have equity and inclusion with students’ voices as loud as those of faculty and staff.  I was radicalized here, and I apply what I have learned daily.  If you feel the same, or even agree, then click the link, subscribe, and tell a friend to vote, or join.  Or both!

Kevin Wilson, MA in Labor Studies, running for Treasurer

Our SLU Student Union needs strong leadership that is effective and transparent, and that is why I am running for a Co-Chair position.  I have demonstrated that I can get the job done as a leader in my current New York State employment and as a volunteer in my union – the Public Employees Federation (PEF).  I have represented my members as a Council Leader and an Executive Board member since 2017 to present.  As a Council Leader, I have unified the membership by listening to the concerns of all members and serving as the oversight for the Division’s finances. As a leader in my multiple union roles, I have successfully navigated the management versus labor landscape to achieve many successes such as the improvement in working conditions on the job with caseload issues etc. and the recent addressing of health and safety concerns that have negatively affected my members due to the Covid-19 pandemic.   Labor needs a visionary leader and that is why I am asking for your vote.  Your vote will allow me to inject the progressive change that is needed to elevate our union to a respectable position in our school and in our community.   Your vote will allow me to work for you, by affording SLU Student Union a seat at the table to engage in conversations with our external partners.  Vote for Kevin Wilson as your next Co-Chair!

Glen Guild, MA in Labor Studies, running for Steering Committee

Glen Guild is pursuing his MA in Labor Studies at SLU and is running for Steering Committee member in the election.  Glen is a graduate, summa cum laude, of the CUNY SLU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies with a concentration in Labor Studies. Glen is also an alumnus of the CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS) where he completed the Certificate in Labor Relations program with a 4.0 GPA. Employed in the telecommunications industry, with Verizon, Glen earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Telecommunications Technology at CUNY Bronx Community College with Dean’s List distinction. Born and raised in the Bronx, Glen has been an active union member of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 1101 for over twenty-five years; advocating for workers’ rights and the labor movement throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and surrounding areas. With experience in mobilizing, organizing, safety coordination, and grievance management, Glen is confident in his abilities to address the concerns of his fellow students and communicate them with faculty and staff. A husband, father, and full-time employee; Glen relates to the challenges of returning to school as an adult while coping with multitudinous responsibilities. This background in labor relations and conflict resolution equips Glen for the task of interacting with his peers and administration with the goal of solving problems.. Glen’s ambitions include completing his studies in order to forward his career and stay up-to-date and relevant in the labor movement.