November 19, 2009, 8:43 am
TEACHING AND GRADUATE ASSISTANTS AT UIUC RETURNING TO WORK PENDING CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN (November 17): On Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 pm, the Strike Committee of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), officially and unanimously voted to suspend the two day strike that brought major portions of the University campus to a standstill. During a General Membership Meeting which began at 5:30 pm, the GEO bargaining team facilitated a discussion of the tentative agreements that it had signed during this morning’s negotiation session with the administration bargaining team. Afterwards, in a simple up or down vote, the 450 members present unanimously recommended to the strike committee that it accept the agreement and suspend the strike. The strike committee met immediately afterwards and took its decision.
With the strike suspended, GEO members are back at work, effective immediately. Teaching assistants will conduct their class sections tomorrow, and graduate assistants will carry out their duties at facilities across campus, including libraries, health and recreation centers, theaters, and specialized academic units.
Read more at the GEO website…
November 17, 2009, 9:26 am
Just wanted to share comments sent to our UPI listserv about the grad student strike at UIUC.
“I think it is great that the GEO is able to take this step. As we know, a strike is never pleasant, but these
workers were given no other option by the administration.”
“This is very courageous and illustrates what the mission of teaching is all about!”
For those of you who want to send messages of support to the UIUC grad students, you can send emails to: geo@uigeo.org
You can monitor the strike developments at the GEO website: http://www.uigeo.org/
Let’s hope that these students and future leaders in our higher ed community don’t have to stay on the line too long. A strike has serious consequences for all members of the higher education community…and as we know first hand, may take a long time to overcome.
in solidarity….
November 17, 2009, 7:33 am
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN (November 17): On Tuesday, November 17, at 8 am, the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), will continue its strike against the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. All buildings previously picketed by the GEO will continue to be designated as “struck” buildings.
Read more at the GEO website…
November 15, 2009, 2:04 pm
UIUC GRADUATE EMPLOYEES’ ORGANIZATION TO STRIKE OVER TUITION WAIVER SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSALS ON ALL OTHER ISSUES, INCLUDING WAGES, DEEMED ACCEPTABLE
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN (November 15): The strike committee of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), American Federation of Teachers/Illinois Federation of Teachers Local 6300, AFL-CIO, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), has authorized a strike against the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois to begin at 8am on Monday morning. After six hours of negotiation on Saturday afternoon, the GEO and administration bargaining teams managed to reach mutually agreeable terms on all aspects of the GEO contract except tuition waiver security. The administration’s refusal to guarantee the continuation of its current tuition waiver practice not only means that the majority of graduate employees could be forced to pay thousands of dollars in additional tuition charges, but also indicates its plans to implement such a change.
Read more at the GEO website…
