Update on Work Action (Admin Response), GMM
Table of Contents:
Announcements:
Events:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Work Action Update - Admin Response
On the morning of Wednesday, February 2, 2022, Robb B. Craddock, a representative of university administration and the Senior Director of Labor and Employee Relations, sent the GEO a letter in response to our Online Work Action that was scheduled for February 2-4th.
The UIUC administration cares so little about our safety that they are threatening to take legal action against the GEO and are citing a violation of the no strike clause in our contract. After discussing with legal counsel, GEO leadership, and rank and file members, we have come to the understanding that their claims for such a contract violation are not accurate because we are not withholding our labor, but rather changing its modality. With the recent snow storm, the administration already showed that it is possible to allow flexibility in modality in response to safety concerns. If the administration can allow for flexibility in modality for severe weather, why not for a deadly pandemic?
It is unacceptable to hear that the administration is more than willing to invest time and money to stop GEO from keeping graduate workers safe and healthy during a pandemic but refuses to invest in the most basic of necessities for safe learning, such as N95 and KN95 masks. It is shameful for a public institution committed to quality higher education to intimidate graduate workers who are only looking out for their safety, their coworkers, their students, and their community.
We will continue to use our union power to discuss the implications of the administration's letter and assess our legal options. In the meantime, please fill out this form if you want to report any unsafe COVID-19 working conditions for the Grievance Committee to review. If you have experienced any discipline or retaliation for moving your classes online or offering a hybrid option, you are encouraged to contact the Grievance Committee at grievance@uigeo.org.
In light of this new information, we believe that the best way to keep using our organizing power is to postpone our online action and reactivate the Work Action Group (WAG). This will allow us to have the time to collectively articulate our agitation strategy and meet our demands as we begin full contract bargaining. When we fight, we win!
Work Action Group (WAG)
We are reactivating WAG! WAG, or Work Action Group, is traditionally in charge of direct actions during our bargaining process. Now that bargaining is about to begin, we need rank and file members to join WAG in order to get it off the ground again! Please email geo@uigeo.org if you are interested in joining.
EVENTS
Special Bargaining GMM: Vote on Your Contract Pillars!
A dark purple and lilac poster. Next to the black GEO logo, the text reads, “SPECIAL BARGAINING GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING, FEBRUARY 9TH, 2022”. Beneath the heading, white text in a black box reads: “AFTERNOON SESSION 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, EVENING SESSION 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm”. White, bullet-pointed text on the purple background reads “See the results for our fall bargaining survey”, “Discuss what we’ll fight for this bargaining cycle”, “Vote on the bargaining pillars for 2022”, “Learn about the bargaining timeline for 2022-2023”, and ends with “This is your contract–come join the fight!” The lilac box below includes black text reading “REGISTRATION REQUIRED, OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS”, followed by a QR code and the white text, “scan the QR code OR go to tinyurl.com/Feb2022GMM”. At the bottom of the poster in purple is the text, “PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU NEED ANY ACCOMMODATIONS!” against a lilac background with the GEO’s contact information listed. Email icon followed by “geo@uigeo.org”, web icon followed by “uiucgeo.org”, Facebook icon followed by “facebook.com/uigeo”, and twitter icon and instagram icon followed by “@geo_uiuc”.
Wednesday, February 9, 12:00-1:00 & 6:00-7:00 pm, Online via Google Meets. Click to register!
Join the Bargaining Team at this General Membership Meeting to . . .
See the results from the fall bargaining survey,
Discuss what we’ll fight for in 2022,
Vote on the bargaining pillars, and
Learn about the 2022 bargaining timeline.
This is your contract–come join the fight! Register Here!
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org