GEO officially announces strike authorization
Atanu Khan, a second year graduate student in Electrical Engineering, casts his ballot before the G.E.O.'s general membership private meeting at the University YMCA on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. G.E.O. members voted on whether or not they should strike in their efforts for higher pay.Joshua Beckman The Daily Illini
The GEO began voting on Nov. 4 to authorize a strike committee. Of those voting, 92 percent of the GEO’s members voted in favor of authorizing the committee to organize a strike.
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. A total of 777 GEO members cast votes. There is a total of 2,600 members in the organization.
“The GEO strike committee will call upon every member of the GEO bargaining unit (all Teachers’ Assistants and Graduate Asssistants) to withhold all labor pertaining to their assistantship in the event of a strike,” said Peter Campbell, GEO communications officer, during the press conference.
The GEO strike committee will also call upon University faculty to cancel their classes in solidarity with any GEO strike, and at a minimum to take steps to ensure that faculty do not teach classes within picketed buildings, Campbell said.
Campbell said the GEO had undertaken work actions in the past. However, that was before it was legally recognized by the University and before the collective bargaining agreement.
“We think that it’s not in the best interest of the GEO or of the University to have a strike, but the GEO is certainly allowed to do that, and since they are threatening one, we certainly are planning for that possibility,” said Robin Kaler, University spokeswoman.
On Monday, the Illinois Student Senate will pass a resolution that calls for a timely and fair conclusion to the contract negotiation process between the GEO and the University bargaining team.
“We respect the rights of those students who would strike, but we want this University to move to a timely and fair end in these contract negotiations, for the greater good of our University,” said Carey Ash, Illinois Student Senate vice president internal. “We’re in a state that is facing a feasible budget short fall. At the same time, the graduate student employees at this institution are asking for a living wage.”
According to the FY 2010 budget guidelines from the University’s Office of Budget and Financial Services, there are no general salary programs for faculty this coming year, nor are there standards or across-the-board increases for any graduate assistant employees.
Kaler said the University is grateful for the contributions of graduate employees, but added that the financial climate is challenging.
“The University is already facing pretty large cuts and faces a very uncertain financial future, so we’re already pulling from all areas. We’re still looking at the possibilities of furloughs and layoffs this year,” Kaler said. “We have to do that because the state is not able to pay us what it has promised us. It’s a very tough year, and I think that’s something everyone needs to remain aware of—other employees of the University did not receive any raises at all this year,” she said.
Campbell said he hopes the University will be able to meet with the GEO this week to work out a contract, and that the GEO is willing to meet with the administration as many times as possible. However, he said the organization has made their feelings on the current contract proposal apparent.
“I would say that the GEO bargaining team has a clear mandate from the membership that the current administration contract proposal is unacceptable, and that the membership is willing to go on strike in support of the bargaining teams efforts in the negotiating room,” Campbell said.
Campbell added that the University is refusing to include contractual tuition waiver protection and is reserving the right to lay off graduate employees in good standing and to prevent the GEO from reopening negotiations during the term of its contract.
“The GEO is prepared to go on strike at any time,” Campbell said.
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The reality here is that the
The reality here is that the GEO is trying to railroad a strike as a power flexing move. The state is having a budget crisis. That is the state is flat broke. So everyone has to make concessions that are part of the State's labor organization. As to the administration's problems this semester, I have nothing positive to say about them either but everyone has to help out the cause. Finally, I would be livid if my classes were getting cancelled. As an undergraduate who was attending school on loans and whose parents made less than 35K a year, I worked about 30 hours per week in addition to taking 15 - 18 hours per semester. The costs of my attendance was borne completely on my own shoulders. But I worked my butt off and got paid the same $900 that these GEO students are, and that paid for all of my living expenses. Sure I didn't have the nicest of everything... but I was attending school on the premise that I would be getting a better job in the future just like these graduate students are. I think some graduate students need to just keep on working and think about life after school and helping undergraduates get their degrees.
GEO needs to stay on message
Every time I have brought up that I am against the GEO strike, I am immediately told that I am out of line because the GEO is trying to "get what we already have" (i.e. tuition waivers to continue, no furloughs, etc.). The thing is, every time I read one of the GEO messages, a daily illini article, or walk by a rally with picket signs and speakers, the message seems to be "we all deserve a living wage."
Once again, let me reiterate what I've said time and time again: YOU accepted this offer for a stipend. I agree that the university should continue to provide the benefits they promised us in the original package. But I DO NOT think that asking for a 20% increase from the minimum wage is what you should be asking for given the state of things. This is just ridiculous and I have no sympathy for you since you chose to accept this salary in the first place.
If the GEO wants to actually get anywhere with the administration, they need to drop this whole living wage argument. We look like a bunch of whining babies and it makes it seem like the only thing the GEO does is ask for more money time after time.
Go ahead and fight for the benefits that we already have, but don't go around asking for more and more money when this just isn't the right time for that.
Re:
"YOU accepted this offer for a stipend."
Yes, we (you and I included) decided to come to this university, sub-par conditions and all, because we think our education is of the utmost importance. But that does NOT mean we should continue to put up with unfair remuneration, especially when the university HAS the money (revenue actually increased this year) but is diverting it to administrative expenses and failed projects like Global Campus.
The way I see it, the time to act is NOW.
I get where you're coming
I get where you're coming from. I am for the strike, but I wouldn't be striking if this were just over minimum wages. I mean, obviously a living wage isn't a bad idea, but it's not as vital as furloughs or tuition wavers. I don't really care about what the DI chose to publish or what the GEO T-shirts say, though. I'm striking for my own, valid reasons.
If the GEO wants to actually get anywhere with the administration, they should NOT, as you suggest, drop the living wage argument. That would be like getting rid of all of their bargaining chips and just begging. The University will keep furloughs and reserve the right to get rid of tuition wavers if we let them get away with it.
TAs will not forget
The university is playing hardball. In fact, they may win.
But I guarantee you this: 777 people will not forget this injustice.
Angry, underpaid people will rarely do their best. You undergrads, already getting a questionable education, will indeed suffer.
And when they graduate, they will look at this institution with disgust.
If we lose the strike, other ways of resistance will be found.
E.g. Meeting outside office hours. Sorry can't help.
You want me to help you edit that paper. Sorry can't help.
You are not understanding the professor. Sorry can't help.
Do you want me to explain things better. Sorry can't help.
TAs are the reason many of you pass these classes.
Trying meeting that professor making $150,000 so they can explain why you got a C- on your paper. Good luck.
Strike or no strike. We will resist and win.
We will put our EDUCATION FIRST and leave the teaching to the university administrators and professors.
Fire The Strikers And Give The Uninvolved Benefits
This mentality is precisely why you don't deserve a dime. If all you can muster to back your argument is a vague threat of not being able to help, particularly when grad TA's are notorious for their lack of involvement in the first place, then I see no reason why you or anyone who stands by you deserves what they already receive, let alone an increase.
All I see when I walk past these picket lines are a bunch of angry, immature, self-centered ingrates who have skated by with minimal effort on a generous salary for years and now throw a temper tantrum when the University says they can't have more money to play with. Show me a group of people who feel the need to chant mindless litanies and carry a sign in the rain to prove a point, and I'll show you a group of people who have run out of good ideas. This is not "resistance" - this is a hissy fit, and I'll be damned if the University does give in to this petty nonsense. If anything, the poor performance of University TA's is only magnified by this general lack of attention - what better way to screw up an undergrad's education than by not showing up and banging on pots and pans to distract those who still care? The only TA's worth their salt on this campus - the only TA's who deserve any of the benefits you so impolitely ask for - are the ones who have done their jobs this week and avoided this garish, embarrassing and obnoxious sideshow you call a strike.
Wow
Wow, what an extremist... I hope I never get you as a TA. I wouldn't be able to garner any respect for you.
While I understand that
While I understand that everyone is stressed out by what's happening, both grad students and undergrads alike, I think what often is left out of most of these conversations is that most TAs I know, like myself, are torn between fighting for their own rights and their obligations as teachers. I had the choice of several other universities for my graduate studies who frankly offered better financial packages. But I chose UIUC because of the quality of the program and faculty for what I want to do. I've had to take out grad loans to support my family because my stipend never covered the gap. I knew this coming in. I wasn't happy about it. I don't want loans the size of a house mortgage by the time I get my PhD. Fortunately, my department's minimum wage is not far off from the minimum the UI has produced. What is most important for me is the issue of tuition waivers. As others have said, most QUALITY grad programs offer these because it is what attracts the best and the brightest to campus. And a large percentage of us are from out of state and will never qualify for in-state tuition. The average for PhDs in my program is 8-10 years. Having to pay that kind of tuition without waivers would virtually empty my department of its graduate population. And there are some really great scholars here! And they teach you as well. Yes, there are always those who don't do well teaching, but our department consistently has several TAs who are voted excellent or outstanding by their students. I think that speaks to the commitment many of us have to our students. We DO care about our students. I know very few for whom this was an easy decision to make, to go on strike. None of us want this. It's not fun, it's troubling no matter which side you come down on. I, for one, will support the strike even as I am really troubled by its effects on my students. It is my sincere hope that students at some point will (if they don't already) understand the difficulty of such a moral dilemma and that none of us are taking it lightly.
I am also a grad TA, but the
I am also a grad TA, but the tone and content of this comment leave me deeply saddened for our undergrads.
First, I grow weary of hearing the word "injustice" in relation to our contract negotiations and the administration's treatment of grad student employees. I agree that it is unjust that the university has been able to lavishly pay some administrators who have scandalized the university. I won't argue that point; it's just an obvious wrong. However, when looking at the spectrum of injustices around the world, this contract issue hardly compares. I believe strongly in standing against injustice but find it difficult to devote so much time and energy to a cause that has, as it's main objective, bettering my life. I can think of a great many people who have it far worse than I do, so my time and energy goes to them.
Secondly, threatening to hold and undergrad's education for ransom is just wrong. Why are some of them so angry and frustrated by the strike? That's why. You may call it resistance, but it's little more than being spiteful. The undergrads have every right to be angry, and I for one am deeply grieved by how they are being treated.
Emma, I agree with you that
Emma,
I agree with you that the content of this message saddens me as well. In this post and others, however, you argue that you can't support the strike because the treatment of graduate students does not compare to the injustice in other parts of the world. Surely, this is true. But that does not mean that we should not fight it. In fact, it actually means that we should fight injustice. Collective action here is a call to collective action everywhere. Speaking back to power means that we can stand up to power anywhere. We should not abide injustice here just because it is worse elsewhere. That logic is akin to suggesting that we should not fight injustice in our own backyards because we cannot fight it everywhere. We must stand up when and where we can. Here, and elsewhere. These are not mutually exclusive. To support the GEO should also be to support exploited workers everywhere. Stand up to exploitation wherever you can. Do not say that you cannot stand up to it because it is not as bad as it is elsewhere.
What if most TAs cross the picket line?
GEO's own web page says this:
(http://www.uigeo.org/faq/#Dues)
Q. If I join the Union will I be forced to go on strike?
A. No. A work action can only be authorized by a vote of the union's
membership. A strike can only work if people support it of their own accord.
The GEO's Constitution ensures a member's right to dissent through
protections of the freedom of speech, protections against discrimination on
the basis of political beliefs, and guarantees against limitations on an
employee's right to choose the time and manner of his or her work. Nowhere
in the Constitution is the union's leadership authorized to fine or
discipline members for non-participation in a strike or for any other
reason.
So who will reimburse the
So who will reimburse the undergrads for the tuition they are paying for classes they are not going to have?
Look, I'm all for fighting for your "rights", but be responsible and don't screw with those who have nothing to do with this (e.g. undergrad students).
So who will reimburse the undergrads
Classes will be meeting on campus for 2 more weeks and then it's time for final exams. The question to ask is who has been paying the tuition for undergrads for the last 12 weeks of the semester. The other question to ask is who has been paying the tuition for undergrads who do not come to class for personal reasons such as not wanting to get out of bed, wanting to spend time hanging out with their friends playing games or shopping, traveling to and from places where time is being spent with friends and family, etc. The money lost on these student activities will be more than what might be lost in the event the strike does happen.
TAs are committed to
TAs are committed to undergraduate education, and we are striking, in part, because we want to send a message to the administration that they need to maintain a commitment to education. Increasingly, smaller percentages of the budget are being spent on undergraduate and graduate education, and larger percentages are allocated to administration and costly initiatives that are not essential for education.
That said, you should demand tuition back for classes missed during a strike. The university will be withholding pay from those on strike, so it is only fair.
We are not striking against our students. Withholding our labor, which is teaching, is the only power we have against an administration that refuses to give us a contract. We are sending a message to the university that it needs to take care better care of all its students.
Yes you are striking against
Yes you are striking against your students, whether you want that or not. Delivering a message that "the university that it needs to take care better care of all its students" by disregarding the consequences your actions will have on undergrads is not a good way to do it.
You are grad students, smart people. You don't have to resort to this low level, childish behavior or striking. If you have it so bad here, quit. Go to another University. Most of you, however, don't have what it takes to do that (maybe because you know it is not so bad after all...). (Can you imagine the repercussion that would cause?)
By the way, if I demand my tuition back, it would be only fair to do that to the people who are striking. And the University withholding your pay if you are not working is a no-brainer. It should withhold all of your benefits.
Graduate students taking
Graduate students taking courses are affected by this as well.
Get off your high horse, we are employees and like every employee we have the right to strike to fight for a contract that is not abusive.
The university has made preparations to ensure that classes continue, so I'm sorry but you no longer can pull that excuse to get out of classes and not pay tuition. Professors will have to teach more, hold more office hours, and the university will effectively be paying more to provide you with learning opportunities because the "cheap" TAs are on strike. If anything, it inconveniences the university even more but with any luck you will not be negatively affected. I know I have made preparations as best I can to help my students. I've graded all the papers I can in advance, I am moving my office hours to this weekend so that they can still get help...and hopefully the strike will only last a day or two so they will not miss out on any of my office hours of lectures.
Low level, childish behavior I think not. There have been many strikes in history, and many of them have mutually BENEFITED employees and employers once the strike was resolved.
I can only imagine what you would be saying if the university decided to pull your financial aid out from under you in the middle of the semester. Or require you to live in a dorm or university supplied apartment complex of dubious quality, and consider that equivalent to 25% of your pay...and give you 75% of the pay you rightfully earn. Then have to pay for medical insurance because UIUC does not provide adequate care. Then also have to pay for tuition because the university decided to cancel your tuition waiver that was given to you in a contract. Oops.
You clearly do not understand what is at stake. UIUC wants to be able to lure new graduate students to campus, that bring in MILLIONS of dollars of research funding and help teach the undergraduate students who pay MILLIONS in tuition fees. Then they can give them a month-long break at will, and cancel our tuition waiver even though we were initially promised a full year waiver in a CONTRACT. The GEO is not asking for a raise for everyone. The GEO is asking only to bring those TAs living under the living wage (about 50-60% according to UIUC's own figures) to the living wage. The GEO is asking for our tuition waivers to be protected, which is something UIUC was doing up until the end of the last contract in August. None of this is groundbreaking, or expensive.
As for "having it bad here"...I think everyone thought that this was going to be resolved by now. Go thank the administrators for continually delaying contract negotiations for months, and for proposing such abusive contract terms in the first place. We are trying to protect what we had in the last contract, and what is STANDARD for graduate schools around the nation. If UIUC gets its way with this contract, believe me that graduate students will leave.
Too bad for you though. Because you'll still be paying the same tuition, but the graduate students who TA you under that new "contract" that UIUC wants so badly will be the graduate students who came to UIUC because no other university wanted them. Because maybe they do not know how to teach, or are not as knowledgeable in the field. Or maybe they will not care as much about your, or if you even learn. Maybe they will not attend their office hours, maybe they will not grade your papers effectively, or put up with hundreds of emails per month from students who should be going to office hours instead of emailing their TAs.
I for one hope that the strike is very short, that the inconveniences to students are minimized, and that we get a fair contract as a result. That fair contract will benefit you, and UIUC, more than you realize.
A Learning Opportunity
Undergrad,
Is it impossible to imagine that the strike itself provides a fantastic learning opportunity for you and other students? After all, the value of one's labor and the power of collective action are two of the most important lessons anyone can learn.
Learning isn't simply about going to class and receiving information or worshipping knowledge. If you learn without thinking, then you're wasting your time and your labor. This strike is citizenship in action-- engage with it, question it, but don't dismiss it as childish and low. To do so only reveals your own ignorance.
I think what "undergrad" was
I think what "undergrad" was trying to say is that a strike was not in the immediate best interest of the undergrads. That is not to say that the intent of the strike is not appreciated. Of course undergrads who are considering graduate school appreciate the effort on the part of the GEO. However, I and many others felt deserted by the TAs, and although I support protection of tuition waivers, I think that there were other ways of achieving this without leaving undergrads out to dry.
Just to be clear, I support the right for you to assemble and strike; I simply don't think it was in the immediate best interest of the undergraduates who are preparing for final exams, and in that sense it could appear to be a selfish motive (though I do not think it is).
Striking is not childish...
Hi there,
You suggest in your post that if grad employees are unsatisfied with the conditions here at UIUC, they should leave. I want you to think about the implications of your argument for a minute: if all the talented graduated students who could get paid better elsewhere (say, Iowa or Michigan where the minimum stipend is substantially higher) left UIUC, then the caliber of TAs and GAs would decrease, resulting in a lowering of the quality of your education (TAs teach almost a quarter of classes, you know), and ultimately a depreciation of the value attributed to your U of I degree upon graduation. It's important that undergraduates understand that improving the conditions for graduate employees here at UIUC will only increase the quality of their education.
I'm a TA currently completing my dissertation, and this will likely be my last year teaching here at the U of I. However, I'm very committed to the GEO's fight for a fair contract because I am committed to the U of I and want it to continue to be a school where the top graduate students choose to attend. We have great students, great faculty members, and great resources. However, if the administration succeeds in forcing a regressive contract upon the GEO, the U of I will be unable to attract quality graduate students in the future, and you, undergrad, deserve better than that.
Apparently someone failed
Apparently someone failed microeconomics.
If all the talented TAs left, the university would have no choice but to pay more. If the budget constraint meant that there had to be fewer TAs, that's what would happen...but they would increase the pay if it was in their interest to do so.
If the GEO membership
If the GEO membership strikes, Will they also suspend their course-work? As their course fees constitute part of their compensation it would follow that they would not participate in classes. It would also seem necessary for the University to bar them from attending classes in the event of a strike as allowing them to attend would be tantamount to paying them during a strike.
not exactly...
I'm not sure of the GEO's plans regarding their own coursework, but as someone eloquently put it, being a student at the university is a requirement for employment, so it can't really be counted as their compensation.
Many TAs are done with their coursework
This is a good question. Many TAs (myself included) have already completed the coursework requirements for their degrees. However, many departments and individual faculty members have issued statements declaring that, in the event of a strike, they will not hold classes (including graduate courses) to show their solidarity with the GEO and to avoid crossing picket lines.
Support from an Undergrad
As an undergrad, I would like to offer my full support to the TAs and the GEO. I understand that a strike could impede my education, but it makes me a little sick to know that TAs are getting paid below the living wage. To those of you who say "Oh, but they're getting tuition!" you should really think hard about their situation. Can you go into county market and buy bread by telling the cashier that "U of I pays my tuition"? No.
No...but they can buy bread
No...but they can buy bread using the money they didn't spend on tuition.
Thank you!
Thank you undergrad for your comment and for your full support! You hit the nail on the head with your comment about getting tuition waivers. Waivers don't put food on the table. Thank you again for your support, it is very much appreciated!
Inform Me Please?
What does this mean for students???
It would mean a work stoppage
It would mean a work stoppage by TAs and GAs, which would cancel a lot of classes until the GEO and the administration reach a compromise. You might email your TAs and Professors to ask them what this means for your class, although they might not have figured that out yet.
In Solidarity with GEO from across the River
As a University of Iowa teaching assistant and member of our COGS graduate employee union, I stand in solidarity with GEO in their struggle for a living wage.
oooo... 92 percent
So 92 percent of the placard-waving sloganeers voted to strike. Great job! Now what about the other 75 percent of GEO members who didn't vote? They probably forgot that they were part of the GEO. Do you think the GEO would have turnout requirements on something like this? What kind of organization authorizes a strike when only a quarter of its members bother to weigh in -- even after the voting is dragged out over three days to gather as many votes as possible? This vote isn't indicative -- it's a sham designed to drum up support for the union prior to the strike. Why else would they be so protective of the results, with all the union folks bashing the Daily Illini for daring to report it before they can apply the proper spin. Go ahead and strike. I predict it's going to flop on its face. You don't have the support.
American voting rates are always low
Have you checked average voter turnout rates in American elections? Many state and local elections turn out less than 50% of eligible voters. The 2008 presidential election, which was hailed for historically high turnout, only attracted 63% of eligible voters.
That's with a professional election staff and tens of millions to billions of dollars spent on voting education and election campaigning. I do not have turnout numbers for other union strike votes, but the lower turnout at the GEO Strike vote does not seem so surprising.
92% however, is substantial. If a 'silent' majority has strong feelings about the strike, they do seem committed to voice them. The real opposition appears driven by the Administration.
I am not a representative of
I am not a representative of the GEO, but I am an informed member and, as such, would like to throw in my two cents.
Everyone is feeling the pinch of harder economic times. My husband has been searching for work for some time, so I know exactly how bad the job market is. The last thing the GEO wants to do is increase the burden for other University employees or for students' paying tuition.
This contract is about more than just money. The GEO has also asked for other benefits that would not be a financial burden to the University. These terms have been refused as well which tells us it's about more than just the money.
In addition, the University has tried to remove some of the rights that were granted in the previous contract. (For instance, see this DI letter to the editor about tuition waivers: http://www.dailyillini.com/opinions/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/geo...). We're fighting to keep the rights we already have. Incidentally, these contract terms don't cost the University any extra, either.
In its contact with the media, the University has only addressed monetary issues. This is unfair because the contract is about more than money. The University has repeatedly made the claim that they cannot afford to make any contract concessions that would add to the University budget. However, the University has not given any proof of this claim. Investigations by the GEO have provided counter evidence to the University's claim (see the quote Kristen gives in these comments) but the University has not responded to these issues. This makes it very hard to evaluate the University's claim about a budget crisis.
The University's exclusive focus on monetary issues when talking to the media is unfair. Especially when their lack of willingness to compromise on non-monetary issues makes it clear that they care about more than just the monetary portions of the contract.
DI an average paper
The DI is typical of college/university papers, and not far from many of the newspapers. The writers and editors are a little naive and a lot biased. They're trying to boost readership by groping about for what interests people on and connected with the campus, even as those interests change. And doing it all with limited time, knowledge and other resources.
I'm glad to see the web pages behaving better than they had for several weeks.
The issue of compensation to graduate student/employees (or any other employee of the university) is complex. I think the powers that be make it more complex than it needs to be, so they can subsidize and otherwise reward their friends and drain their enemies, to tilt the playing field in their own favor. Here's my favorite quote from an NSF paper from the mid-1980s:
"A growing influx of foreign PhDs into U.S. labor markets will hold down the level of PhD salaries to the extent that foreign students are attracted to U.S. doctoral programs as a way of immigrating to the U.S.A. A related point is that for this group the PhD salary premium is much higher [than it is for Americans], because it is based on BS-level pay in students' home nations versus PhD-level pay in the U.S.A... [If] doctoral studies are failing to appeal to a large (or growing) percentage of the best citizen baccalaureates, then a key issue is pay... A number of [the Americans] will select alternative career paths... For these baccalaureates, the effective premium for acquiring a PhD may actually be negative."
IOW, they want to arrange things so they can pay the graduate assistants (and the adjuncts) as little as they can get away with. They want to maximize the compensation to the top executives in the universities and government, first. The compensation to tenured profs is slightly less important, while non-tenure-track employees are way down the priority scale.
Standard or quality of living for students and alumni for any but a select minority is not much of a concern. They have always been quite aware of the implicit additional value to a foreign student in the form of the possibility of an eventual green card or citizenship, and thus that those student workers could be compensated even less in other ways. The value of that bonus has itself been driven down by the very process of flooding the job markets with foreign students and guest-workers.
It's gotten to the point that an ivy league magna cum laude grad, Sona Shah, demonstrated to congress -- live, by projecting the job site web pages, having her phone to the hearing room's P/A system, and calling in response to appropriate job ads more or less at random -- that recruiters are very eager to hire her, right up to the moment she revealed that she had become a US citizen (and hence more difficult to under-pay).
As my government instructor used to say, It's all part of the plan.
Vote Unfair
When I went to the voting table, I had a long FAQ about all the pros of striking shoved in my face and had the voting official telling me about why the contract was unfair without my even asking. There were one or two paragraphs discussing the cons. If this were a political election, this vote would be laughed off the face of the earth. I'm getting tired of GEO's propaganda tactics (i.e. large black scare posters). If GEO wants to take itself seriously, then perhaps they should take the voice and dissent of its members seriously. The "overwhelming majority" 92% of 777 means that there were at least a not insignificant 50 people who think that this strike is a really bad idea. My department is one in which almost all of us are receiving 25% assistantships at the minimum wage for our contract, yet very few of them are willing to honor this poorly timed and desperate move by the GEO.
I found the vote extremely fair
I just want to weigh in and say that I think the GEO is doing a tremendous job, and I found the voting to be very well run. Yes, information about the pros and cons of a strike were made available to voters because the decision to strike is an extremely serious one. It was vital to inform members who could not or chose not to attend the general membership meeting last week of the facts.
Those in charge if the GEO are aware that some members oppose a strike or have serious concerns about one, which is why there were numerous meetings last week to discuss what the plan should be and what membership as a whole feels most comfortable with (in addition to the general membership meeting which was widely publicized, many individual buildings and or departments held meetings). Additionally, every email the GEO sends out ends with several lines asking that if any member has questions or concerns, that they should feel free to email or stop by the GEO office. I think that voicing your concerns to GEO leadership and staff (who I assure you are more than willing to listen) would be much more effective than airing your grievances on the DI online.
Really...
You're suggesting he/she bring up concerns about voting procedure at previous meetings? Sorry to break it to you, but that's not exactly possible.
I did vote yes on this procedure, but this vote means absolutely nothing as a result of how it was run. You know how in every level of elections there is absolutely no campaigning within a certain distance of poling locations? Well the GEO in all its wisdom decided to campaign at the very table. And the "pro and con" info was in no way balanced, nor did it even attempt to be. I regret actually taking part in this, and giving the GEO another number they can tout in a fake vote.
No, the TA was saying that if
No, the TA was saying that if the original poster wants to make his/her voice heard, a more effective way would be to attend meetings and communicate with GEO organizers. The TA was suggesting that the poster do something other than post in the comments section of the DI, where the complaint is much less useful than if it were actually brought to the attention of the GEO. In this situation, the voices of those who oppose the strike are equally as valuable as those who support it, but those voices are better heard at GMMs and during the process of constructing the informational materials than they are here, where the complaint comes off more as sour grapes than anything else.
Vote Unfair
When I went to the voting table, I had a long FAQ about all the pros of striking shoved in my face and had the voting official telling me about why the contract was unfair without my even asking. There were one or two paragraphs discussing the cons. If this were a political election, this vote would be laughed off the face of the earth. I'm getting tired of GEO's propaganda tactics (i.e. large black scare posters). If GEO wants to take itself seriously, then perhaps they should take the voice and dissent of its members seriously. The "overwhelming majority" 92% of 777 means that there were at least a not insignificant 50 people who think that this strike is a really bad idea. My department is one in which almost all of us are receiving 25% assistantships at the minimum wage for our contract, yet very few of them are willing to honor this poorly timed and desperate move by the GEO.
Objectivity and the News
As a teaching assistant in the communications department, I'd like to encourage people to consider the difference between giving "both sides" and "objectivity." The University's position as stated is that "the University is already facing pretty large cuts and faces a very uncertain financial future, so we’re already pulling from all areas." But as the DI itself has reported, the facts don't measure up. The University's budget is larger than it has ever been, but the money is going to unsuccessful projects like the Global Campus, disgraced administrator severance packages, and public relations to cover these up. The University's perspective deserves to be heard, but we need to be smart about how to interpret their information.
Great point communication TA.
Great point communication TA. I know students from the ICR are some of the smartest on campus! DI: If one side is making false claims, it is your job to correct the mistakes! Take the time to investigate the reality of the university's budget crisis and exactly how much is being spent on TA salaries vs. administrators . Showing "both sides" is what Fox news claims to do. I believe the Daily Illini is better than that and I've seen some excellent investigative work from your paper. I hope, in the future, you can apply those skills to this important issue.
In future articles about the GEO, I'd like you to:
1) Compare UIUC TA salaries and benefits to other TAs at major universities.
2) Provide details of the UIUC budget, and how much of that would be affected by a bump in TA salaries.
3) Tell us exactly what the TAs are asking for vs. what the university has offered.
In that line of thought,
In that line of thought, salaries would have to be compared to universities with a comparable TA to faculty ratio. There are certainly other universities that pay much less, but TA responsibilities are also correspondingly less. Similarly, other universities (Michigan, Iowa) pay their TAs significantly more.
http://www.geocontract.org/?page_id=5
Bravo GEO!
I second the last comment. I am a U of I alum and I have donated time and money to the University and I expect TAs to receive a living wage. I learned so much from the excellent graduate employees as a student and I commend the GEO for their hard work and commitment to education. I'd like the DI to run a story about how UIUC graduate teaching assistants are compensated by comparison to other TAs at major research universities. I'd also like to see the administration's offer vs. what the GEO has asked for in contract negotiations.
The U had a chance
There was a time in these negotiations when UIUC could have prevented whats happening now, but the people in charge were busy being investigated and negotiating their own golden parachutes. With the widespread corruption that has come to light this year, it is amazing that anyone is siding with the Administration on this. The burden that Grad students carry is another sign of the corporatization going on on campus; get the cheapest workers to teach more of the credit hours. Every hard worker is a victim of the strategic vision the University is currently guided by. White and Hermann walk away with hundreds of thousands of dollars and retain their faculty positions after violating the public's trust, and people are complaining about Grad students asking for a living wage?! Now they're scrambling to come up with a compromise, but it is simply too late. When contract negotiations happen again in 3 years, lets hope the administration will learn that ignoring the GEO, letting the contract expire, and making insulting counter-offers that strip away rights is a recipe for one thing, STRIKE!
keeping what's ours
To the staff member who wrote earlier: the GEO supports fair wages and working conditions for *all* workers on campus. And although it's our own contract in question right now, if TAs get an unfair and regressive contract, that will only make it more difficult for other unions on campus to bargain for fair contracts in the future. However, if we can fight back on certain key issues like furloughs (in effect, arbitrary pay cuts with no decrease in the actual work being done), non-living wages, and 0% raises, then we can send a strong message to the university that their budget priorities should be in supporting undergraduate education and the workers that make that possible, not in covering up admissions scandals and giving golden parachutes to the administrators responsible for them.
congrats to the GEO
The GEO press release is the place to start in understanding this vote. The GEO has done an excellent job of exposing the lopsided administrative priorities that have led to a systematic de-funding of undergraduate teaching, especially in the humanities and fine arts, and of rallying the overworked and undersupported TAs and GAs to imagine ways to rise to their own, and their disciplines', defense. Everyone in the humanities knows that TAs keep the institution running by providing, if not slave labor, then indentured servitude labor. Everyone will benefit from graduate students being funded to a level commensurate with their actual contributions to the university. None of us would have jobs if the state's undergraduates could not continue to find classes to take here at the UI. What many may not realize is that it is the TAs and GAs who keep these courses taught semester after semester.
"Have the GEO members
"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."
Actually, a big part of the negotiations is ensuring the tuition waivers are secure for future appointments. The University has refused to add any language to the contract which provides security for the waivers. That "free education" is absolutely a factor in the decision for work-action. In fact, it's because of the "real world" and the job market that we need to ensure these waivers are safe. Many grad students are simply not in a position to take on large student loans that will leave them in debt upon graduating from the university.
I ask you to read the press release and information on the situation at hand before making offhand comments that do not take into account what we're actually dealing with here.
What free education? Yes we
What free education? Yes we have a tuition waiver that allows us access to U of I courses and gives us a U of I degree at the end. Meanwhile, in order to gain any standing within our departments and have any hope of a job later, in addition to coursework and teaching, we have conference presentations, publications, reading groups and a number of other activities to factor in. These take enormous amounts of time and energy that make our education anything but free.
Let me reassure all you
Let me reassure all you non-supporters that the GEO has been very thorough in investigating how much we actually make, including our below living wage allotment and the tuition waiver. We understand that we receive a tuition waiver, we are grateful even, but that does not mean it will pay our rent. We are also fighting for other unions and workers on this campus to get what they deserve, wether that be monetary or otherwise. This university has had horrible priorities in the past when it comes to supporting students, GRADUATE WORKERS (because we do teach class), and other employees. Rest assured we know what we are doing. It is time to fight for fair wages and working conditions. If the university wants us to teach class then we need to be compensated fairly for it. Please support your TA.
Finally, the GEO is going to
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!
U of I not getting one red cent - Alum '02
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.
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