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Grads and Allies Confront Regents on Affordability
On Feb 16th, grad workers in GEO and P4P rallied outside the School of Social Work before packing the room at the Regents Meeting. MSW grad Justice Cook explained that many MSWs are forced to take second jobs, making degree requirements–including 900 unpaid internship hours–nearly impossible to fulfill. MSW Larisa Mednis urged the Regents to bargain with grads over MSW compensation. 70 MSWs do their field placements at U-M, providing the University with nearly $1.3 million in unpaid labour.
At the Regents’ Meeting, management congratulated Regent Weiser (a billionaire local landlord) for buying up a city block for future dorms. Weiser’s ability to easily purchase numerous houses contrasted with grads who struggle to afford rent. Undergrad allies and Ypsi city councillor Dez Simmons spoke in support of GEO, citing smaller class sizes, the need for well-paid instructors, and funding a non-violent police alternative.
“The situation of international students with family here is structurally critical: we can only work 20 hours, our spouses are not able to work, and because of that, we are not eligible for a number of benefits—for example: we cannot apply for the childcare subsidy.”
– Claudio, Romance Languages & Lit
Frustration Grows as HR Stalls at the Table
Grads passed back proposals on disability, workload & workplace, healthcare, and public safety. Once again, HR struck all of our proposed contract language. When GEO Lead Negotiator Evelyn Smith expressed disappointment with HR’s lack of engagement with our proposals, UM’s negotiator Katie DeLong tried to dodge accountability, saying that grads being in the room made it difficult for her to make real proposals. Why can’t we know what she wants to put in our contract?
“How dare [HR] propose such ridiculous proposals on compensation without even having done the math of how a grad student would survive on those amounts, especially for those of us with additional costs? How dare the university claim that the current disability accommodations system works when barely any grad workers use it each year?”
– Anonymous grad worker, LSA
HR again dismissed our proposal to codify U-M’s sanctuary school policy, arguing that it’s unrelated to our working conditions. Over a dozen public universities have recognized that immigration status and employment are linked by having formalized sanctuary school policies. HR claimed they had a legal analysis to support their position, but said that they had not brought it with them, even though they knew the proposal was on the agenda.
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