GEO Statement on Membership Dues Overcharges
Dear GEO members,
The deduction of GEO dues by the University Payroll has now been incorrect for the past four months. The University has overcharged our members holding TA and GA appointments because of a failure to adjust the RA/PGA dues properly after the GEO membership voted to increase RA/PGA dues. In April 2019, members voted democratically to increase RA/PGA dues from $3 to $8/month; following the vote, our officers communicated the change to Payroll so that the change could be implemented over the summer In July, UIUC payroll incorrectly increased dues for TA and GA members by $5. Our team of volunteers dealing with financial concerns and grievances communicated this error to University administration and ultimately filed a grievance and Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) against the University in August when the error was not fully corrected. In response to our grievance and ULP, the University administration agreed to correct the dues deductions for our members in September. Yet this pattern of promising to rectify the mistake made by UIUC payroll and not adhering to that promise has continued to reoccur. Two weeks ago it became clear that GEO members once again have not been reimbursed for the various incorrect charges in their October paychecks. Despite months of GEO pursuing appropriate actions through appropriate channels, UIUC administration has not taken responsibility for their errors, thus continuing to negatively affect the financial well-being of our members.
Yet, this situation can only be rectified by University Payroll: the GEO has no power over the deduction of union dues from graduate employees’ paychecks from the University. It would be extremely taxing and near impossible for the GEO to attempt instituting their own reimbursement system for hundreds of members that have been affected by the administration’s errors. University Payroll has the resources to correct its system and reimburse its employees for the past four months of incorrect withholdings. On October 16 we again met with Campus Human Resources, where they presented a plan to reimburse our members the dues they were overcharged, but over the past four months they failed to follow through and have changed their course of action without informing us.
The GEO has now re-filed a ULP against the university and will not withdraw this until our members are correctly and appropriately reimbursed for these overcharges. The University has an obligation to their employees to issue their rightful wages and must follow through on that responsibility to their employees. We urge Campus Human Resources and University Payroll to work with us and do right by their graduate employees.
GEO is very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused our members, and if you are severely affected by these overcharges, please contact geo@uigeo.org so we can discuss your individual situation.
TIMELINE
April 2019 - GEO members vote to increase RA/PGA dues from $3 to $8
June 2019 - HR/Payroll confirm receipt of dues increase from GEO
July 2019 - Payroll changes RA/PGA dues to $8 but overcharges all TAs and GAs by $5
August 2019 -
Payroll changes RA/PGA dues back to $3 so TAs/GAs pay the correct amount but RAs/PGAs are undercharged by $5
GEO files a grievance and an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against UIUC
GEO meets with HR who agree to fix the dues issue as quickly as possible if GEO drops the ULP and grievance
HR and GEO agree that: TAs and GAs will now only see one dues charge totaling 2%. Previously they had two amounts shown, totaling 2%—a $3 charge and then (2% - $3). Regular RA and PGA dues will be $8.
To correct the August underpayment, RAs and PGAs will pay $13 in September but revert to $8 in October.
September 2019 - HR again overcharges TAs and GAs by charging them 2% PLUS $13
October 2019 -
Administration proposes a plan to reimburse TAs and GAs by decreasing their GEO dues by $13 for the month of October.
TAs and GAs are not reimbursed, as the administration had promised
GEO files a ULP against the university for a consistent negligence for correcting these errors
GEO Phone-A-Thon
If these issues have been frustrating you as much as us, please join us on Friday, November 1 between 1:00 and 3:00 PM at the GEO Office to vent, have some coffee, and repeatedly call UIUC Payroll and demand that they correct these serious errors.
If you would like to give them a call on your own time, check the Facebook event on Friday for a script you can use!
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org