Bargaining News

  • ACTION ALERT: Movement at the table, members needed at bargaining session

    MEMBERS: Significant movement is happening at the bargaining table! HEAD TO BARGAINING IN MASON HALL 1427 (probably 2306 after 4 pm) to discuss the progress with the bargaining team during caucus! We need members there to talk about the negotiations and what has happened with proposals today. Get over there NOW!!!

  • Sign up for picket shifts!

    Members and supporters: Use this handy webform to sign up for a picket shift! On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25 and 26; there are three shifts each day or, if you are super awesome, you could join us ALL DAY!

  • Members: bargaining today + failsafe meeting tonight

    BARGAINING SESSION TODAY GEO is still bargaining with the university, and members are encouraged to attend today’s bargaining session, starting at 11:30 am in 1427 Mason Hall. ***UPDATE: The University’s bargaining team said they need to caucus until about 2:30 pm before they give us any counterproposals. If you want to come over to bargaining,…

  • GEO members prepare for walkout

  • GEO Members Authorize Two-Day Work Stoppage

    [pdf of press release available here] [Job Action FAQ for members available here] [Resources for faculty/staff available here] UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GRADUATE EMPLOYEES AUTHORIZE TWO DAY WORK STOPPAGE LABOR UNION OF GRADUATE INSTRUCTORS VOTE 727 TO 177 TO STOP WORK Ann Arbor, MI – Members of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO, AFT local 3550), the…

  • SNRE blogs about negotiations!

    Take a look at the new School of Natural Resources blog, at snresolidarity.blogspot.com!

  • Thursday’s Rally for a contract!

    On Thursday, hundreds of GEO members and supporters – including undergrads, faculty, and community members – gathered on the Diag and marched to the Fleming Building, demonstrating their amazing solidarity to the University. Students Organizing for Labor Equality also made some public statements, via chalk power, of their support: Read a story in the Daily…

  • VOTE! RALLY! CONTRACT!

    Last night, GEO’s membership in attendance at a membership meeting voted to send out a strike ballot to ALL union members. In the next few days, members will be VOTING on whether to authorize the Stewards Council to call a two-day work stoppage next week, if the union’s demands are still not met. If you…

  • At the table: Bargaining Update

    As GEO’s contract expires today, read about what the latest status is at the bargaining table. (In a nutshell, the only strike platform issue that GEO and UM have reached significant agreement on is parental leave.) And don’t forget all the important events (see below) happening this week as we lead up to a potential…

  • UPCOMING EVENTS

    As GEO continues to negotiate with the university, there are lots of critical events in the next couple of weeks leading up to a potential job action. YOUR attendance is important and shows the university our strength as a union, and the seriousness of our demands! BARGAINING SESSIONS Thursday, March 13, 11-5: Palmer Commons, Great…

  • Educating undergrads about GEO’s negotiations

    GSI Talking Points For Discussing the Job Action/GEO with Undergraduate Students (or anyone else!) Below are talking points and general approaches that GSI’s can use for discussing the job action with their students. Since different approaches work better in different contexts and with different personalities, these are simply intended as possible tools that we can…

  • Bargaining update; bargaining schedule

    The most recent bargaining update – including info about the strike platform that GEO members approved, and some recent proposals from the University – is available in this week’s At the Table. Starting today, bargaining sessions will be held twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. It’s as important as ever to show up and…

  • This week in pictures

    With GEO’s contract set to expire just over a week from now (March 1), the membership has stepped up visibility and discussions of contract priorities. At last night’s membership meeting, we voted to extend the contract’s coverage by two weeks (read the Daily article here, and we voted on a strike platform. The Rackham amphitheater…

  • Membership Meeting: February 20, 2008

    Our Contract expires on March 1, 2008 and the Contract Campaign is heating up! At the next membership meeting, Wednesday February 20, 7 pm, Rackham Amphitheater (4th floor), we will: 1. Have a bargaining update 2. Vote on a strike platform 3. Begin discussion of possible job actions 4. Get psyched. Your attendance is extremely…

  • This week at GEO: Stews, Bargaining, Love

    STEWARDS COUNCIL MEETING Wednesday, February 13, 7 pm @ GEO. Everyone is welcome!!! BARGAINING SESSION: NEGOTIATIONS AND LOVE SONGS Thursday, February 14, 11 am – 4:30 pm, Palmer Commons, Great Lakes Room A special Valentine’s Day edition of UM and GEO’s bargaining! Be sure to bring your red GEO t-shirt and chocolate for the bargaining…

  • The Milk of Administration Kindness

    Tired of sour milk? Come to this week’s Bargaining Session: Thursday, 11-4:30, Palmer Commons, Great Lakes Room, and show the administration your support for 9%!

  • At the Table (and in the room): Jan 31 bargaining update!

    For in-depth coverage of the January 31 bargaining session between GEO and UM – at which UM summarily rejected nearly *all* of GEO’s contract proposals – check out this week’s At the Table. UM countered GEO’s Salaries proposal (Article 10) with a proposal for a 2% wage increase for each of the next 3 years,…

  • This week at GEO

    STEWARDS MEETING Wednesday, February 6, 7 pm @ GEO If you missed last week’s membership meeting, or if you want to talk more about what happened there, think about coming to this week’s Stews meeting, open to all members. BARGAINING SESSION Thursday, February 7, 11-5 pm @ Palmer Commons It’s another marathon bargaining session! Come…

  • Mass Membership Meeting: Thursday Jan 31

    GEO MASS MEMBERSHIP MEETING: THURSDAY JAN 31, 7PM RACKHAM AMPITHEATER (4th Floor) Come to the MASS MEMBERSHIP MEETING to ramp up the contract campaign. We’ll discuss where we’re at with bargaining and what the remainder of the term looks like. With 5 WEEKS until our contract expires, it will be a chance to share concerns,…

  • At the Table: GEO and UM’s Jan 24 bargaining session

    Read about last week’s bargaining session in this edition of At the Table! At the January 24 bargaining session, the Union was disappointed by the administration’s failure to bring any counterproposals to the table. GEO and UM have both already passed all of their initial proposals across, and GEO also passed its counterproposal to UM’s…