The U of I administration runs this university like their own personal piggy bank, giving themselves 10-15% annual raises and huge bonuses while jacking up tuition, leaving the buildings to rot, and starving the employees. This U of I alum applauds you.

"according to a GEO e-mail obtained by The Daily Illini"

Just when I thought this rag of a McPaper couldn't get any more disreputable and unprofessional. Good job, guys. Yes you can.

We're feeling the burn on State University of New York campuses - good job and good luck with the strike, GEO. They have the support of this GSEU member of SUNY Buffalo.

From the first line of the email: "PLEASE NOTE: Until our press conference on Monday afternoon, discussion of the results of the vote should stay only within the GEO membership, that is, persons who have signed cards to become members of the GEO. "

Oh, and you might actually want to get your facts straight before leaking information like this. The vote was to authorize a strike COMMITTEE, which will only call a strike IF there is not movement at the bargaining table.

Newspapers leak information. It's kind of their job. Is this strike vote some sort of trade secret? No? Then suck it up GEO. Welcome to the real world where journalism is a double edged sword.

Normally, I don't comment on web sites because I find that the people who do are more or less ignorant, stupid and represent the most moronic percentage of our society. However, I couldn't help myself from asking: What the heck are you talking about? I don't see anything about this story that would warrant that response, especially the sentence you highlighted. What are you referring to, the fact that it was obtained by e-mail? That's a fairly common means of communication and you often see that's how that stuff gets obtained for stories I'll read even in the Tribune.

The DI is a solid student newspaper and if you've been to any other school you would see it's better than most. I enjoyed the DI during my time at U of I and to think that it's free and is put together by full-time students, what are you expecting, the New York Times? Sorry it's not as good as the blog you write from your mother's basement.

Using documents as a form of reporting is not unprofessional. For instance, the admissions scandal that was uncovered by the Chicago Tribune relied heavily upon e-mail exchanges between various members of the University's administration. If members of the GEO are upset that The Daily Illini obtained this e-mail, it is because they are unable to control the media's coverage of the vote. The members of The Daily Illini informed their audience about this news in a timely manner as soon as they received the information rather than sitting idle and waiting for the GEO to contact them or distribute the story through their own means. In doing so they fulfilled their duty as journalists and should not be condemned.

By "rag of a McPaper," you obviously mean a paper that practices investigative journalism. Perhaps the local Pennysaver is more up to your uncomprising standards.

As a graduate student highly involved in the current situation, I applaud the Daily Illini for their investigative journalism. I would lose respect for the paper if they DIDN'T break the story; that is their job!

I was able to read the article just fine and understood that a strike committee is being formed, not a strike itself - just goes to show the value of reading and how far that gets you in this world.

If all you read was the headline, either prove that the DI altered the article to update the information, invest in glasses to read the rest of the article - namely the first sentence where it clearly says "strike committee" - or take reading comprehension courses to avoid this kind of faux pas in the future.

This is a very solid article that represents both sides of the issue. I hadn't realized the budget difficulties the university was undergoing, especially in relation to state funding. It is very informative and I appreciate the specific numbers and facts included to support statements.

"The Graduate Employees Organization voted to authorize a STRIKE COMMITTEE with a 92 percent majority between last Wednesday through Friday."

"This is the first time in the GEO’s history that a local member of the federation of teachers voted to authorize a STRIKE COMMITTEE, which could determine a strike date if there is no progress in negotiations."

I'm pretty sure thats exactly what they wrote. Learn how to read.

"The Graduate Employees Organization voted to authorize a STRIKE COMMITTEE with a 92 percent majority between last Wednesday through Friday."

"This is the first time in the GEO’s history that a local member of the federation of teachers voted to authorize a STRIKE COMMITTEE, which could determine a strike date if there is no progress in negotiations."

I'm pretty sure thats exactly what they wrote. Learn how to read.

Have the GEO members factored in the free education they are receiving while not receiving a living wage??? Many will have a rude awakening when they actually graduate and find out what the job market is like today in the real world.

While I'm not going to comment on the discussion above since it is moot I will say that this student paper is NOT better than most. I've read a lot of student papers and this is by far the shadiest paper I've ever read. I'm not sure what other schools you are talking about but I've read papers from schools 1/4 the size of U of I and their coverage is more thorough, more comprehensive, and better edited. The DI fills most of its pages with ads, inane opinions, AP wires stories and sports coverage. The number of interesting news story possibilities on this campus are too many to count. The number of interesting individuals that come to this campus every day is enough to warrant at least one, well-informed analysis. Yet it's only crickets from the DI. Really sad...

As a staff member, if I get furloughed because the grad students can't see beyond their stuck up noses, I'm going to be really annoyed. Please GEO, think beyond yourselves and realize that all groups of the university are having salary issues.

Consider these facts from the GEO's press release:

"Instead of advocating on the behalf of students and workers, administrators were granting costly favors to state politicians. The former Chancellor diverted $450,000 of discretionary funds to provide jobs and scholarships for politically well-connected but undeserving applicants. Another $400,000 went to the attorneys who represented the University before the Governor’s investigative committee, and another $550,000 to new faculty appointments for the former President and Chancellor. In this context, the GEO finds it hard to trust the UIUC administration when it argues that there is not enough money to provide a living wage. From the GEO’s perspective, it appears that budget priorities are simply out of place. When CAMPUS REVENUES ROSE BY 7% in FY 2009, only 0.8% ($2.7 million) went to undergraduate instruction. Meanwhile, the Chief Information Officer’s budget rose by 10.9 percent ($1.6 million), and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics budget increased 6.2 percent ($4.1 million)."

http://www.uigeo.org/2009/11/08/official-press-release-for-the-first-time-major-student-union-at-university-of-illinois-overwhelmingly-votes-to-authorize-a-strike/

that was a really useful comment. We don't want to be furloughed, you don't want to be furloughed. I guess that makes you stuck up too.

I'm going to assume you're an undergrad. Please remember that graduate students are older than you, more experienced than you, have had "real world" jobs (I'm pretty sure being a teacher at the U of I is a "real world job") and many support families while they return to school. We know about the real world: that's why we formed a union. ]

They added that info after Tschussie's comment was posted. Way to be unnecessarily snarky.

You're dangerously uninformed if you think that what the GEO is asking for will have any sort of negative effects on the university budget. I suggest taking a look at the grey book someday. Or you know, keep making yourself look silly by posting ignorant comments on the DI.

Also, I like your rocking the "f--- you, I got mine" attitude. It suits you.

Specific numbers? Other than the number of voters and the outcome, there aren't any. There certainly aren't any to support the university spokesperson's claims...and that's because the "budget crisis" fictional.

Until U of I starts treating its employees fairly, I pledge not to donate another cent. As an alum, I'm embarrassed to be associated with such a dysfunctional institution.

Tuition wavers are one of the main issues of the contract negotiations. They are at risk, so no, we can't factor in the free education that we are receiving because we may not receive it anymore.

Finally, the GEO is going to strike and call attention to the bloated salaries of useless administrators, while those who actually TEACH THE CLASSES, the most important part of any university, are denied a living wage!

Let's have the University put its money where its mouth is!