Bargaining Since 2003
The Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, represents approximately 2,700 Teaching assistants (TAs), Graduate Assistants (GAs) and Pre-Professional Graduate Assistants (PGAs) on the UIUC Campus. With an active presence in the community, the GEO works for high-quality and accessible public education in Illinois.
Furthermore, the GEO is the official venue through which TAs, GAs and PGAs can negotiate with the University Administration over their healthcare, wages, and other working conditions.
Since unionizing, UIUC graduate employees, through the GEO, have pushed for and won better stipends, improvements in health insurance, and other benefits.
Why should i join the geo?
There is strength in numbers. Through a strong and active membership, the GEO has made significant improvements in graduate employee working conditions. The most significant improvements include: increased stipends, dental insurance, vision care, a full subsidy of the McKinley Fee, a partial subsidy of student insurance, partial dependent health insurance coverage, and strong protections against overwork, discrimination, and arbitrary discipline. Continued demonstration of unity will help enforce the contract we have now and help win improvements in healthcare and working conditions in the future. Furthermore, members, and only members, run the GEO. Becoming a member empowers you to have a voice in your union and your working conditions. If you are interested in becoming a member visit our Join Page and we will contact you so that you can sign a membership card.
Weingarten Rights
As the member of a union, you have Weingarten Rights under the 1975 Supreme Court decision which declared that unionized employees have the right to have a steward or union representative present during an investigatory meeting with management when the employee believes the meeting might lead to disciplinary action being taken against them. You can use the below text to invoke your Weingarten Right.
“If the discussion in this meeting could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated or impact on my personal working conditions, I request that my steward, local officer or union representative be present. Until my union representative is present, I respectfully choose not to participate. This is my right under a Supreme Court decision called Weingarten.”
how can i get involved in the geo?
You can be an active member by:
Signing a GEO membership card.
Attending General Member Meetings (GMMs) and voting.
Distributing GEO flyers, shirts, etc.
Contacting your department steward (and becoming one yourself!) to help organize and inform your department.
Becoming a member of a GEO committee, or just pitching in to help with planning, organizing, publicizing, and other activities.
I want to talk to an officer in the union.
Your officers are always happy and available to help you work on any project or organize around any goal you might have.
Co-Presidents
Suzanne Basson and Tony Mirasola: cc@uigeo.org
Communications Co-Officers
Dale Mize: commcomm@uigeo.org
Co-Treasurers
Aaron Councilman and Kyle Timmer: treasurer@uigeo.org
Officers-at-Large
Marly Santora and Joseph Van Lieshout: officer1@uigeo.org
Farhad Kamarei: officer2@uigeo.org
Sofia Caruso: officer3@uigeo.org
Grievance Officer
Sophia Warner and Andy Stec: grievance@uigeo.org
Stewards’ Council Co-Chairs
Arthur Paganini, Freddy Hancock, Rohit Ananthanarayana:
sc@uigeo.org
RA Unionization Working Group
Solidarity chair
Asha Sawhney and Matthew Heinrichs:
solcomm@uigeo.org
SECRETARY
Raymond La and Gaurav Tenkila:
secretary@uigeo.org
welcome committee
welcome@uigeo.org
Bargaining Team
Staff
Andrea Herrera (Staff Organizer):
andreaherrera@uigeo.org
Lesley Owens (Staff Organizer):
lesleyowens@uigeo.org
Lance Pittman (Administrative Assistant):
adminasst@uigeo.org
Questions for your Union?
If you have any questions not answered on this website that you’d like to submit to the GEO, please fill out the form below.