Bargaining Session #11 Summary: GEO Responds to Admin's Proposal
Summary of 9/6 Bargaining Session
During yesterday’s session, the GEO bargaining team clarified the intent behind the UIUC administration’s package proposal. When asked whether this was a package proposal, meaning the administration could choose to take back the entire proposal and offer even less, the administration’s lead negotiator, Robb Craddock, replied “it all depends on what you propose.” In the rest of the session, GEO’s lead negotiators, Sam Froiland (History) and Essam Elkorghli (Education), asked clarifying questions about the language proficiency requirement, issues with reappointment raises, and the administration’s understanding of equity. Sam and Essam ended the session by reading a statement prepared by caucus (the group of GEO members present in the bargaining room) and the bargaining team, which outlined how disappointed we are with admin’s proposal. The admin proposed wages that fail to account for the increase in inflation, and failed to address most of the issues in our proposal surrounding childcare, the elimination of fees, and more.
What do WE want?
The GEO wants a complete response from the administration to our over 40-page proposal that reflects our central pillars: access and justice, health and safety and wages and tuition waivers! This includes addressing all of the articles they do not want to change (status quo) so we can bargain effectively. This is essential given how certain departments like Communications are eliminating their reappointment raises after grad workers signed their appointments this Fall. Why does the University expect us to accept the status quo when they could be violating our contract while bargaining?
We specifically demand access and justice for our multilingual speakers of English and international students. We proposed several alternatives that multilingual speakers could point to as evidence of their language proficiency, including employment, conference and teaching experience, as alternatives to the English Proficiency Test, which 50% of expected TAs fail to pass (CITL, p.4). Not only did Robb say we “wouldn’t have a say in that,” but he suggested that the admin could have removed their one sentence proposal entirely, which only promises to “review” current requirements, if they wanted to. We reject the University’s racist and outdated standards that applies different language requirement standards for non-White speakers of English from colonized nations.
[Image description: A meme from an anime of a man gesturing toward a butterfly. The man is labelled “Robb,” the butterfly is labelled “threatening to delete parts of the contract” and the dialogue at the bottom reads “Is this ‘the spirit of collaboration’?”]
What do THEY (the administration) want?
The GEO lead negotiators stated that admin’s proposal, which constitutes a wage cut after inflation and fails to address many of the important issues brought up by members, was disrespectful to our lives and labor. Robb’s only response was “You have our full response. Any statement to the contrary is false. If you all consider that disrespectful, then I don’t know what would be respectful.”
[Image description: A picture of Robb Craddock with a blurred filter is surrounded by an orange circle. White text on a black background surrounded by large orange quotations reads, “You have our full response. Any statement to the contrary is false. If you all consider that disrespectful, then I don't know what would be respectful.” Yellow text underneath reads “Robb Craddock, Negotiator, UIUC’s admin."]
Not only did admin spend 6 months asking reading comprehension questions about our proposal, but then under the guise of “efficiency,” they expected us to accept their package proposal which they can withdraw at any time, while we cannot do the same. While the GEO cannot ask for higher wages or better benefits than what we proposed back on March 7, 2022, they can offer lower wages or simply remove their proposal and start from our current wage. What is respectful for us, Robb? A living wage, year round health care and $0 fees! Either Robb does his job or we will keep pushing until he does.
One of our members who attended the session, Marissa (she/her), expressed:
“It feels that all of Robb’s inconsistencies, backtracking, and rudeness is him trying to trick us, confuse us, wear us down, or tire us out so that we just give up (sign a contract that doesn’t improve our quality of life). And that’s not gonna happen — We’re not going to give up! Robb’s lack of clarity, feigned collaboration, and blatant disrespect for and infantilizing of 3,000 graduate workers will only radicalize and empower us more to stand up and fight back.”
How can I and my co-workers/friends participate and support?
The stronger our Union is, the stronger the contract we will win! Hence, we need to transform our anger and frustrations into organizing power. No task is too big nor too small for YOU or your co-workers to get involved. Here are some places to start:
Post the organizing TO-DO list in your office and share with friends so you can commit to at least one event.
Consider sharing a testimonial during the sessions (can be done anonymously)
Joining the bargaining team! You can nominate yourself or a friend at https://tinyurl.com/jointheBT. Questions about what that entails? Email Chelsea and Sam at officer1@uigeo.org!
Share our “After Bargaining” podcast with your friends so they can stay tuned in to what’s happening in bargaining.
Join us for Bargaining Session #12
[Image description: A flyer with an orange-colored background and an image of a megaphone with waves of sound in the upper right. Blue and white text reads “FULL CONTRACT BARGAINING SESSION #12 9/19/22.” In a paragraph below, smaller black text reads, “On Monday, September 19 from 10:30 to 1:30AM, GEO’s Bargaining Team will be negotiating with university administration on topics of access and justice, wages and waivers, and health and safety in our contract.” At the bottom, white text reads “Illini Union - Illinois Rooms A&B. Please wear a mask if attending in-person! Email officer1@uigeo.org for link to join online. On the bottom left is a white logo with the letters “GEO” inside.]
The session will take place in-person on Monday, September 19 from 10:30am to 1:30pm at the Illini Union in Illinois Rooms A&B! Please wear a mask if attending in-person. Those that cannot attend in person due to public health concerns can also get a link to join online by emailing officer1@uigeo.org by 11:59pm on Sunday, September 18.
Join for as long as you can, and invite at least one colleague!
Bargaining Team needs volunteers to help with:
Note taking (you’ll receive a brief training on how to do this!)
Childcare
Procuring coffee/food
Check-in
Sign up to volunteer here: https://bit.ly/BARGSUPPORT12
Announcement of Officer Elections
The GEO Coordinating Committee (CC) is currently soliciting nominations for several vacant officer positions. If you’re interested in running, contact them at geo@uigeo.org.
Nominations will be accepted until the General Membership meeting on September 22, 2022.
After the CC has accepted your nomination, GEO will also make every effort to share any campaign/election materials with membership.
Here are the vacant officer roles:
Secretary
Grievance Committee Co-Chair
Solidarity Committee Co-Chairs
Officer-at-large
Some of the positions have tentative commitments from candidates, but some do not! You can find more information about the union’s committees here and learn more about the GEO as a whole here.
GEO will be conducting the election electronically, using ElectionRunner.
If you are a GEO member, you will receive an email invitation at your illinois.edu email address to participate in the GEO’s officer elections. To vote, sign in to ElectionRunner using the link sent to your illinois.edu email. The online polling will open at 12:00 PM Central Time on 9/23/22 and will close at 8:00 PM Central Time on 9/24/22.
If you do not receive your login information on 9/22/22, please contact us providing your name, netID, and a non-UIUC email address you wish us to use for the elections.
When filling out your online ballot, be sure to carefully read all candidate options and candidate profiles. To read more about a particular candidate or team-ticket, you can click the blue info button to the right of an option on the ballot.
In Solidarity,
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org