On August 25th, GEO members voted to ratify our new contract, with 97% voting for ratification. This officially ends GEO's historic, 146-day strike for affordability and dignity. The 9-month campaign involved thousands of workers at every step of the way: from the platform development process, to the fight for open bargaining, to the strike, and the final weeks of discussion around the settlement. It was this deep, democratic process, which went beyond mere voting, that led to the strong feelings of unity and consensus throughout the campaign, typified in the overwhelming strike vote and now the overwhelming vote for ratification.
At a mass meeting attended by nearly 500 people on Thursday, August 10, grad workers voted to respond to the Administration's August 2 offer with a counter pushing for more gains. The meeting capped off a week of discussion, in which over 300 members participated in 32 department meetings, more than 14 working group meetings, and multiple, multi-hour sessions to discuss the August 2 offer and determine how we should respond.