GEO Strike 2018 Day 9
***March 6, 2018 -- 204 days since our contract expired on August 15th -- GEO Strike 2018 Day 9***
Good morning! The weather today is expected to be cloudy, with a 40% chance of rainy (primarily in the afternoon), and a high of 45 °F (7 °C). Dress accordingly! We’ll have rain ponchos at the support stations, as umbrellas are not allowed on the picket lines.
Thank you to everyone who picketed in the rain to start the second week of our strike off strong! It was the coldest and rainiest day of our strike yet, but there was fire in our spirits and the picket lines stayed strong. In addition to our usual pickets, members made sure that students touring campus for Admitted Students’ Day knew about the reasons for our strike and attended the Faculty Senate Meeting -- which voted 56 to 5 to extend time to discuss GEO. At the noon rally, Efadul Huq read a moving poem about graduate labor that he wrote for the occasion. In the evening, our #EducationForAll social media storm trended almost immediately in the Chicago area, and we even got a shout out from UIUC alumnus Nick Offerman!
Everyone, GEO member or not, is welcome to join us on the picket line. Our picketing shifts are from 8-10:15 am, 10 am-1 pm, 12:45 pm-3 pm and 2:45-5 pm. Please arrive for your picket shift(s) at least 15 minutes early. All shifts should meet at the Eternal Flame Pillar in between the English Building and Lincoln Hall on the Main Quad. Be sure to sign in and out with your picket captain once you are assigned! You can sign up for more picket shifts here.
We’ve dubbed today “President Killeen Day,” as we’ll be shifting some of our focus from Provost Cangellaris to President Killeen -- the man in charge of the “Campus Wage Program.” Our midday rally will be held at 12:30pm (note time change) in front of Foellinger. Then, at 3:30pm, we will march from the main quad to the U of I President’s House, a large mansion near the intersection of Florida and Lincoln, and have our end-of-day rally there (including setting up a tent on his front lawn). For those who cannot participate in the march but would still like to be present for the rally, we will have a group meet at the Lincoln Hall support station and take either the 8 E Bronze OR 12 E Teal from the Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory bus stop to the Florida and Busey bus stop.
Strike Support Stations will again be located at Foreign Languages Building (FLB), Henry Administration Building (HAB), and Lincoln Hall. They have food, water, hot drinks, first aid supplies, and just about anything else you can think of.
Childcare will be located in the Channing Murray Foundation (1209 W Oregon St, Urbana). See here for more information about childcare. To help us plan for your childcare needs, please use this form to sign up in advance.
Photo policy: Photos are allowed. If you do NOT want to be included in photos, please notify your picket captain.
Pet policy: All friendly pets are allowed (and encouraged!) on the picket lines. We have water bowls and dog treats at the Strike Support Stations. If you take a picture with your pet, send it to us!
As the strike gets longer, more undergraduates will be forced to cross our picket lines. This can be frustrating, but it behooves us to direct their frustration towards the Administration rather than ourselves. Always be as respectful and informative as you can. If an undergraduate voices complaint, suggest that they repeat it to the Provost and ask their professor to move the class, and ask them to flyer or sticker the inside of the building.
We deeply appreciate how respectful everyone has been so far. Please continue to practice the basic picketing rules: be respectful (no harassment, no littering, etc.), be safe (no weapons, if you are harassed call 911, etc.), and most importantly, be joyful!
See you on the lines! Remember: The University Works Because We Do. Together, we can win a fair contract!
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217-344-8283
Email: geo@uigeo.org
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This is a newsletter for members about our recent news and events. The Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), IFT/AFT local 6300, AFL-CIO, is a member-run labor union and represents Teaching and Graduate Assistants (TAs and GAs) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.