Category Archives: Uncategorized

At the table: GEO and U’s first bargaining session

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GEO’s first official bargaining session with the University was last Thursday, Dec 6 (article in the Daily). The session was well-attended by more than 80 GEO members, including several parents, who might be especially affected by the proposals GEO passed across the table. The bargaining team passed two proposals to the University: Article XII, about the Child Care Subsidy, and Article XIII, which details procedures for four different kinds of paid leave for GSIs, including parental leave. Discussion of proposals followed an energetic presentation by Colleen Woods, GEO’s lead negotiator, outlining GEO’s bargaining platform themes of *Access, Compensation, Equality*.

With Article XII, GEO proposed for several major changes regarding the Child Care Subsidy, attempting to make access to the subsidy more equitable, as well as expanding the range of expenses toward which the subsidy can be applied. In Article XIII, GEO is proposing a parental leave policy, which the University currently lacks altogether for GSIs. Article XIII also states that GSIs who need to miss a day of teaching for professional responsibilities, such as presenting a paper at a conference, will be covered by the same replacement procedures as other forms of leave. In addition, we are proposing language that attributes all benefits and rights of a regular GSI appointment to long-term replacements for GSIs on leave.

When GEO held a caucus with members to discuss, these proposals were met with great excitement by the room. In particular, several parents – many who had their children with them – noted that these familial issues are non-negotiable for the union. Multiple testimonials reiterated the problems with the current child care subsidy in particular, and indicated a need for the administration to take seriously the financial needs associated with childcare, as well as the rights of employees to parental leave.

The next bargaining session will be Thursday, Dec 13, 2-5 pm in Mason Hall 3330!

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Bargaining kicks off: Thursday, Dec. 6

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GEO’s bargaining with the University is kicking off this week! On Thursday, December 6, the bargaining team will present our bargaining platform, giving a general overview of our issues and concerns for the 2008-2011 contract. We will also be negotiating on proposals related to child care and leave. We need you to be at the bargaining session!

When: Thursday, December 6, 2-5 pm (come by for any or all of it)
Where: Michigan Union, Room Anderson D
Who: YOU, your friends, your colleagues, your children (no seriously – bring your children!)

Why is it important to attend bargaining sessions?

a) It shows that we are a strong Union!
b) It is an opportunity for your voice to be heard by the bargaining team AND the university!
c) It’s fun!
d) You can bring your grading or study materials!

(OK, so A and B are really the most important parts.)

We hope to see you on Thursday wearing GEO garb, and remember to address any questions or concerns to umgeo@umich.edu!

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GEO Membership Meeting- Thursday, Nov. 15

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COME to the GEO Membership Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 15 in Angell Hall, Auditorium C at 7pm.This will be one of many opportunities for GEO members to weigh in on what we want in our upcoming contract with the university.

And don’t forget the party after the meeting!

If this is one of many opportunities, then why come now?
On November 15, members will…

FINALIZE the union’s bargaining platform

VOTE to approve the final iteration of the platform
ELECT a bargaining team, a group of active GEO members who will negotiate on the union’s behalf

ELECT a lead negotiator, a GEO member who will officially represent GEO at the bargaining table

PARTY at the new GEO office (330 E. Liberty, Suite 3F)

FREE BEER AND T-SHIRTS!

ACCESS, COMPENSATION AND EQUALITY are GEO members’ main concerns for this contract.

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Vote, Volunteer, Drink

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3. Drink — After the polls close, GEO folks will be meeting up with volunteers from One United Michigan, SCOR, and other organization fighting Prop 2 at Leopold Brothers. (The Dems will be at ABC, just so you know)

2. Volunteer — The GEO office is serving as a volunteer clearinghouse for the local fight against Prop 2. We need your help! Stop by the office and we’ll put you to work.

1. VOTE!!!

GEO has focused on the fight against Prop 2, and urges all members to vote NO and defend affirmative action in Michigan.

Our state federation, AFT-Michigan, has endorsed Kathy White (D) and Julia Donovan Darlow (D) for University of Michigan Regents.

Please stop by the office for a slate card listing all of AFT-Michigan’s endorsements.

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GEO Stewards Pass Resolution in Support of AAUP at EMU

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Full text of the resolution:

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) has been negotiating with the Administration of EMU for a new collective bargaining contract.  After the Administration walked out of negotiations at ten o’clock the night before classes started, the AAUP called a strike and has not taught for the first week of classes.   Among the AAUP’s largest concerns are the safety of their classrooms and role in shared governance in addition to their demands for wages and benefits. 

 

Understanding that a threat to one of our unions is a threat to all of our unions, and with the support and encouragement of the EMU-Federation of Teachers, Local 9102 AFT/AFL-CIO, we the Stewards Council of the Graduate Employees Organization, Local 3550 AFT/AFL-CIO, express our solidarity with and support of the AAUP in their struggle with the EMU Administration.  As an expression of that support we commit to:

 

    • Inform all of our fellow grad students that the AAUP is on strike.
    • Work to make sure that no grad students at the University of Michigan cross the picket line nor take any appointments that are struck work by the AAUP
    • Support the AAUP by asking GEO members to join the AAUP picket lines.

 

Additionally, we call upon the Administration of EMU to fulfill its responsibility to the students at EMU and the citizens of the State of Michigan and to negotiate in good faith with the AAUP.

 

Furthermore, we hope this provides an occasion for all academic labor—tenure track, non-tenure track and graduate employees—in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area and the state of Michigan to work more closely together.

For daily updates, visit the EMU AAUP website here.

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Questions About the New 2005-2008 Contract?

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Many people are asking about the details of our new contract, and are hoping to see it up online… An unofficial draft version is available. See menu to the left of this story…

Your fellow GEO members are working hard this summer on finalizing this. Nearly everything that GEO does is done by members who spend a few hours a week doing the work of the union. The more GEO’ers we have working, the faster it gets done…

So, please bear with your fellow grad students as we work to get the new official contract online. And please, think about ways you can give a little of your time in the coming months to help your union run smoothly…

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MEMBERSHIP MEETING Wed Feb 23rd 7 pm : strike vote?

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Membership Meeting: WEDNESDAY, FEB 23, 7PM
KRAUS NATURAL SCIENCES BLDG — AUDITORIUM
NW corner of the Diag, with the “greenhouse”)

Since we extended our contract (from Feb 1 to Feb 24), there has been some progress at the bargaining table, but the Administration has refused to meaningfully respond to most of our key proposals. To win a contract that accomplishes our goals of increasing access and eliminating discrimination, we need to put pressure on the administration to make movement at the table.

We need adequate child care subsidies, fair wage increases, equal pay for equal work, fair treatment for international employees, low-cost and full-access health care, including equal benefits for TLGB families, and protection from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.

We can win all of these things if we stand up and stick together.

The next month will determine our contract for the next three years. For more info on any
of the issues check out: GEO Newsletters, GEO in the News; lend a hand to win this contact: contact your departmental steward or call the office. 995-0221.

You can also show your support at the Bargaining Table:
*** FRIDAY, FEB 18, 1-5: 2455 MASON
***TUESDAY, FEB 23, 10-1: MI UNION 2105B
[Bring your work, stay for as long or as little as you like...]

In solidarity, Dave Dobbie GEO President

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Organizing

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“Had a chance to do some actual organizing today for the first time in months. You forget how rewarding it is when you don’t do it for awhile. I enjoyed being on the bargaining team during the contract campaign, but I’m glad to get back to the work that really builds the union.”

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Officer Elections in Stewards

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On Tuesday, April 20, David Dobbie (Social Work and Sociology) was relected as President of GEO. Bella Muntz (Anthropology) was elected as vice president. A full summary of the meeting follows.

Hello -

On Tuesday 4/20 we had a well-attended and very productive Stewards meeting. Here is a brief outline of what happened (full minutes are available in the GEO office):

1) Several committees reported, including a LEO Tentative Agreement update, announcement of a (long) draft platform that will be researched and refined this summer, and call for volunteers to travel to Madison, WI in early May to help TAA with their strike planning (contact ddobbie if you’re interested).

2) Bella Muntz (Treasurer) reported on the 1/04-4/04 budget and presented the 5/04 – 4/05 budget. Stewards approved the 04-05 budget.

3) We continued our governance discussion. Stews approved a Governance Committee to meet over the summer, charged with drafting stewards bylaws that reaffirm and codify our committment to transparancy in information sharing and decision making. For a more complete discussion of the charge of the committee, see the official minutes. Also note that last Stewards Council (4/6?), Stews approved making four committee chair positions elected out of Stews, and these elections will take place in September (Grievance, Organizing Committee, Bargaining Committee, and All Campus Labor Council Representative). These positions will become officers of the union.

4) We continued our discussion about the proposal to change our governance structure slightly to create two co-president positions instead of one president and one vice president. The proposal failed, although with some significant support among Stews, and several Stewards abstaining. The discussion was active and productive, and ultimately led to recognition that whatever the structure, we need to do a better job with coordinating among committees and helping the president and vice president work effectively together to keep the union working smoothly.

5) We held elections for president and vice president.
Dave Dobbie and Bella Muntz both ran for president. Each spoke and answered several questions, including responding to the possiblity of an open-ended strike next spring. Dave Dobbie won on a paper ballot.

Ursula Lawrence and Bella Muntz both ran for vice president. Each spoke and answered questions, including what they saw the as the role of the vice president. Both described their desire to become more involved in the day-to-day decision making of the union, and to work to coordinate bargaining and organizing during the contract campaign. Bella Muntz won on a paper ballot.

Due to a lack of candidates, elections for treasurer and secretary were postponed until the next stewards council. Stewards will continue to meet during the summer, as will the standing committees, bargaining research, and the governance committee.

In solidarity,
Aron Boros
GEO Secretary

*note – these notes are not official minutes, but a summary of what happened based on my recollection.

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The GEO Winter Ball

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It’s time once again for that premier social event of the season:

The GEO Winter Ball!
(costumes optional, though encouraged)

Saturday, January 31
9PM–???
406 N. Division
(across from Community High, between Lawrence and Kingsley)

Come celebrate our health care win and hang out with your ever-hip and
interesting fellow grad students…friends, kids, partners, etc. of course more
than welcome.

Solidarity,
Dave

David S. Dobbie
GEO President
Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Sociology
University of Michigan

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