Wage Bargaining Raises and Back Pay, GA/PGA Taxation, Community Read, and Fair Tax Q&A
Table of Contents:
Announcements
Important: 2020 Wage Reopener Raise and Back Pay
Image description: Black and white page with the title “Accessing your Earnings Statement: How to Read Your Paycheck. Step by Step Guide.” The following description is of the listed steps in the guide: 1. Either go directly to the website: https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/pay/earnstmt or search for "earnings statement uiuc" and visit the site named: "Earnings Statement - University of Illinois System." 2. Once on the website, click on the green "Access Earnings Statement" button on the right hand side of the page. Note: If you have not set up two factor authentication, there is a link right below the "Access Earnings Statement" button to set it up. Click that and follow the appropriate steps. 3. Enter your NetID and password. 4. You will then be asked to verify your identity. There are two ways to do this. You can select the “Call Me” option or the “Enter a Passcode” option. For either one, follow the appropriate steps to verify your identity. 5. Next you might need to enter your pin. If you don’t have one, click the link below the space to enter the pin to create one. If you do have one, enter it and click “Submit”. 6. This should take you straight to your earnings statement. 7. To view past earnings statements, click the “View Past Statements” button on the upper right corner.
On August 21st the University Administration and the Wage Bargaining Team negotiated increases to the minimum wage for the next two years of the contract. From conversations with the administration, it has been understood that the 4% raise will be applied to this month’s earning statement. Along with this, you should receive back pay for the month of September (worked days: Aug. 16 - Sept. 15). Your October gross pay should equal 1.08 times your September gross pay if back pay for the month of September was applied. If your October gross pay is 1.04 times your September gross pay, then you received the raise but not the back pay. If you are currently making the minimum and have not seen this raise and/or September back pay please fill out this quick questionnaire.
For those wondering how to access their earning statements to see if the raise and/or back pay has been applied, we’ve included this helpful guide to assist you.
Go to the Earnings Statement - University of Illinois System website.
Once on the website, click on the green "Access Earnings Statement" button on the right hand side of the page. Note: If you have not set up two factor authentication, there is a link right below the "Access Earnings Statement" button to set it up. Click that and follow the appropriate steps.
Enter your NetID and password.
You will then be asked to verify your identity. There are two ways to do this. You can select the “Call Me” option or the “Enter a Passcode” option. For either one, follow the appropriate steps to verify your identity.
Next you might need to enter your pin. If you don’t have one, click the link below the space to enter the pin to create one. If you do have one, enter it and click “Submit”.
This should take you straight to your earnings statement.
To view past earnings statements, click the “View Past Statements” button on the upper right corner.
GA/PGA Taxation on Waivers
As Graduate Assistants (GA) or Pre-Professional Graduate Assistants (PGA) you are taxed on your tuition and service fee waivers. This means that you will see a reduced paycheck this semester in the months of October, November, and possibly December. You will not be taxed on your tuition and fee waivers, if you hold a Teaching or Research Assistantship that is at least half of your total appointment percentage. For example, if you have a 25% GA position and a 25% TA position, you will not be taxed on your waivers. Read more for information and access to a Net Pay Calculator. A note on the Net Pay Calculator, we have heard from GAs in the past that it is not easy to understand and not super useful. If this is still the case please let us know at geo@uigeo.org.
If you are in need of financial assistance during this taxation process, GEO has some support options for you to consider. Our Mutual Aid Working Group has recently established a Cross-Campus Mutual Aid Solidarity Fund that any campus worker, regardless of union affiliation, can request financial assistance and support from. At this time, individuals can apply for funds on a one-time basis at a cap of $100. If you are in need of greater assistance, GEO has also shared this financial assistance guide with information on other available resources either locally or statewide.
Image description: Black and white page with the title “Financial Assistance Guide” and the following subtitles: “Note on Public Charge Rules,” “State Financial Assistance Application Website,” “Assistance to Supplement Monthly Household Income,” “Assistance to Supplement Annual Household Income,” and “Local Assistance.” The following description is the information shared under each subtitle to the right.
Public Charge Rules: Rule changes to Public Charge may negatively affect green card applications.
State Financial Assistance Application Website: Governor's office has promoted this assistance application website due to covid.
Assistance to Supplement Monthly Household Income:
Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD)
Illinois Affordable Care Act (IL ACA).
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) with an Eligibility and Application Guide
Assistance to Supplement Annual Household Income:
Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
Citizenship or immigration status of the child's parent cannot be considered and will not impact the child's eligibility determination
Eligibility will not be denied based on a child's citizenship status
Illinois will continue to authorize services to non-citizen children and will pay for these services with State dollars
The application for CCAP is nuanced, and we recommend coming to the GEO Office at 809 S. 5th St, Champaign for help filling out your application
Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Call Ameren Illinois to ask about their bill payment assistance fund eligibility.
Local Assistance:
Food Assistance
Emergency Financial Assistance
Cunningham Township (Urbana): 205 W Green St, Urbana, IL 61801
Champaign Township: 5139, 53 East Logan St, Champaign, IL 61820]
Events
Community Read: Prison by Any Other Name
Interested in learning more about the abolition of prisons? Want to learn and talk about real alternatives to prisons that actually ensure the safety and well-being of everyone, especially Black and Brown communities? GEO invites members and allies to join Abolition2Abundance in a community read of Victoria Law and Maya Schenwar’s Prison By Any Other Name (2020), culminating in a discussion with a Zoom discussion with Victoria Law on October 23rd from 6-7:30 PM CT. A limited number of free copies of the book are available for those who need them.
Check out the Facebook event and sign up to attend!
UIUC CLC Brown Bag Lunch: Fair Tax Q&A
The UIUC Campus Labor Coalition invites you to a Brown Bag Lunch discussion on the proposed Fair Tax amendment to the Illinois Constitution on Oct 20, 2020 12:00 PM Central Time. Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Join the Facebook event here.
Image description: Blue text on a gray background reads “VOTE YES FOR FAIRNESS to raise $3 BILLION per year TO HELP FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION.” Five rows of clipart school buildings are in the background.
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org