GEO Members Protest for Equity at Board of Trustees Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, September 22, 2022

Contacts:
Karla Sanabria-Véaz
Co-President
cc@uigeo.org 

Savannah Wills, Megan Mericle
Communications Officers
commcomm@uigeo.org

GEO Members Protest for Equity at Board of Trustees Meeting

Champaign-Urbana, IL -  Over 50 members of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) rallied at the Board of Trustees meeting this morning to speak out against violations of GEO members’ contracts. GEO is demanding that the University administration truly address grad workers’ concerns surrounding access, equity, fair wages and year-round healthcare coverage.

For the Fall 2022 term, many GEO members have been asked to sign new offer letters with a paycut, citing ongoing contract negotiations. However, GEO argues that this is a contract violation, and places grad workers in an even more precarious financial position as inflation rises to 8.3%.

Karla Sanabria-Véaz, GEO Co-President and graduate worker in Social Work stated: “GEO presented a complete and researched proposal based on the needs of all members six months ago. Admin’s package proposal offers a wage increase far below inflation that amounts to a pay cut, limited healthcare coverage, and completely ignores our proposals on childcare, overwork, the racist English proficiency standard, and international student rights. We demand a fair contract now!”   

During the public comments portion of the Board of Trustees meeting, GEO pointed out that the Board of Trustees has the power to ensure the University administration comes to the next bargaining session with a reasonable counter-proposal. GEO then presented a proclamation of demands, stating that “graduate workers deserve an equitable workspace free of discrimination, a living wage, free year round health care, and free public higher education” for the Board of Trustees to sign. They did not sign and had no response to GEO’s demands.

Chelsea Birchmier, a GEO Bargaining Team member and graduate worker in Psychology, spoke about two values the university proclaims to be committed to: access and equity. In her statement, Chelsea stated that tuition waivers and fair wages ensure that education is accessible to all, not just those who can afford it: 

“It is extremely hypocritical for the university administration to proclaim this commitment to equity on the one hand, and on the other hand, after 6 months of bargaining and an 8-9% inflation rate, refuse to offer UIUC GEO a full proposal instead of a take it or leave it package proposal, and refuse to offer UIC United Faculty a compensation response for 6 weeks.”

GEO will go into the 13th bargaining session with University Administration on September 27 from 4-7pm at the Illini Union in Room 210, and will continue to ask for a reasonable proposal that meets the needs of membership. 

The Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, represents approximately 2,700 Teaching and Graduate Assistants on the UIUC Campus. In November 2009 and in February 2018, over 1,000 GEO members and allies participated in a strike to secure a fair contract and a more accessible UIUC campus. With an active presence in the community, the GEO continues to work for high-quality and accessible public education in Illinois.

For more information, please contact geo@uigeo.org. More information can also be found on GEO’s website at www.uiucgeo.org.

Twitter: @geo_uiuc
Facebook: @uigeo @geosolcomm
Instagram: @geo_uiuc

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