Ahead of the University of Michigan’s Regents’ Meeting on Thursday, dozens of graduate workers will rally in front of the School of Social Work to demand affordability, dignity, and payment for mandatory internships required of Masters of Social Work students.
GEO Negotiation Bulletin #8: HR’s Limited Vocabulary: No. January 27, 2023
HR suggested that allowing victims of abuse to escape without reporting would keep the University from addressing harassment and discrimination. HR then proceeded to flatly reject a broad slate of common-sense proposals intended to support graduate parents, international workers, and Masters students. Help respond by participating in the Week of Grad Labor Visibility from February 6 to 10 (bit.ly/GEOGradWeek).
GEO Negotiation Bulletin #7, HR sends over first counter-proposal eight weeks into bargaining, January 20, 2023
HR finally gave us counterproposals on Friday, which can be summarized in a word: “No.” For some crucial proposals — paying MSW students for their labor, funding an unarmed, non-police crisis response program, and protecting workers from ICE — HR went further, suggesting our proposals were permissive and potentially illegal, and telling us to drop them entirely.
GEO Negotiation Bulletin #6: Victory! Grads Win Open Bargaining, January 13, 2023
After months of GEO members and allies applying pressure and refusing to back down from open bargaining, HR finally agreed to dismiss the mediator and discuss substantive issues with grad workers in attendance.
GEO Negotiation Bulletin #5, What is HR Trying to Hide? January 6, 2023
GEO members have been diligently coming to the table ready to bargain in good faith, but HR does not seem willing to proceed with any productive discussion unless GEO members give up their right to be in the room where their livelihoods are being discussed.