December 7, 2001
Walk-Out Rocks Campus; GEO Simply Rocks
Hearings Are Red Herring
GEO Chicago Allies Take Action
Fightin’ Time is Organizin’ Time!
Walk-Out Rocks Campus; GEO Simply Rocks
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GEO members and their allies picket in front of Lincoln Hall |
The GEO concluded its most successful action ever with its two-day, targeted
Walk-Out on November 28-29. Nearly 400 people joined picket lines and
rallies on both days, causing the cancellation of close to 70% of TA-run
classes in the five targeted buildings. Many faculty also cancelled or
relocated classes in solidarity with the GEO.
Activities began on Monday, Nov. 26 with a "48-hours to Bargain"
table outside of Swanlund Administration Building. At 8 a.m. on Wednesday
about a hundred graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and community
supporters formed picket lines on the Quad. Despite dropping temperatures,
wind, and rain, picket lines remained energized from the constant outpouring
of new picketers taking the place of the weary and the wet.
Grad employees and allies shut down five buildings with their picket
lines. Allies supported the GEO in terrific numbers throughout the work
stoppage. Lines were lengthened and chants and songs were strengthened
by faculty, undergraduates, local teachers, representatives from the IFT
and AFT, local clergy, and many others.
Picketers took their marching and chanting through both the Henry and
Swanlund administration buildings. And on day two, between rousing choruses
of "Who let the grads out!?" barked across the quad, picket
lines forced Cantor and the Dean of Communications to cancel a meeting
in Gregory Hall in the early afternoon. To thank the chancellor for honoring
their picket lines, the GEO reprised its march through Swanlund while
delivered a boisterous and heartfelt rendition of the "GEO Jingle
Bells." Cantor, who happened to be in at the time, tried to look
stern but couldn’t help breaking into smiles at the sight and sound of
the GEO singing for recognition and democracy.
The walk-out culminated in a rally at the Alma Mater, featuring polemic
statements of support from GEO allies, including Illinois Student Government
President Bob Morgan .
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"I enjoyed working with the graduate union when I was provost
—U of I Chancellor |
The rally was capped by the inspirational labor tunes of local band Sassparilla,
who led the nearly 200 assembled grads and allies in a chorus of "Solidarity
Forever."
In addition to nation-wide media coverage, the GEO received strong statements
of support from across the country (and even some from Canada). Professors
and public school teachers in the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT)
also coordinated a successful campaign to get the Illinois House of Representatives
to pass a resolution in support of GEO’s organizing effort! The resolution
called on the administration to respect graduate employee union rights.
Judging by other graduate employee strikes around the country, the U
of I administration has responded by the book claiming that it was “business
as usual” during the work stoppage and refusing to negotiate over working
conditions. But their rhetoric seems to ring hollow amidst rumors of impending
health care improvements and other increased benefits in response to the
pressure of our successful walk out and possible springtime strike. Stay
tuned to see what else the administration tries in their attempt to buy
off graduate employees.
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Hearings Are Red Herring
When an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) appointed by the Illinois Educational
Labor Relations Board (IELRB) held hearings in Springfield on November
30, the U of I administration and local press attempted to portray this
as a decisive event. However, those hearings were never meant to decide
anything. That perception was a mistake that some reporter made (inflamed
by the administration’s emphasis on the legal case as the only important
aspect of this struggle).
Like all the other hearings that the GEO has had before the ALJ over
the last several months, the primary purpose of the most recent hearings
was to interpret and apply the Labor Board’s ruling of March 2001. Remember,
this decision would effectively cut out all but 5% of graduate employees
from an officially recognized bargaining unit.
Clearly, this is all part of an administration attempt to delay justice
and divert attention from their anti-democratic stance. They could legally
recognize our union at any time outside of this process or agree to abide
by the results of an election that we could mutually arrange. The lesson:
We need to keep the activist pressure up!
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GEO Chicago Allies Take Action
On Wednesday, November 28, graduate employees at the University of Illinois
at Chicago showed their solidarity by taking over the UIC Chancellor’s
office. This coordinated action was meant to show the Board of Trustees
that it cannot contain the GEO’s drive for recognition.
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"Psst! Did you hear the Illinois House of Representatives |
At 9:00 a.m. twenty members of the UIC Graduate Employees Organization
took position on the 28th floor of University Hall. Their demand was simple:
They wanted a meeting with the Chancellor. Not surprisingly, no meeting
took place.
Supporters, some carrying bail money in case things turned nasty, rallied
outside. But as the March 2000 sit-in here in Urbana taught us all, there
was nothing to worry about. This Board of Trustees operates by a simple
law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite inaction.
On the second day of the work stoppage, many of the UIC grads who took
over their chancellor’s office made the trip down to Chambana to join
our lines. They know that our struggle is their struggle, and that we
will all benefit when the administration is finally forced to recognize
the right of its graduate employees to form a union. Thank you, UIC GEO!
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Fightin’ Time is Organizin’ Time!
After our work stoppage the Administration knows that they’re in for
a serious fight. You can bet that item one on the agenda this week was
union busting. The Administration clearly has the upper hand in terms
of money and political power, and they think they’ve got a strategy for
defeating the GEO.
Here’s the news: No matter what strategy the Administration employs to
bust the union, it can’t succeed if every graduate employee who wants
recognition works to make recognition happen. Money can’t stop us. Threats
can’t stop us. Legalistic maneuvers can’t stop us. Dirty tricks can’t
stop us. The Daily Illini can’t stop us. Nothing can stop us as long as
we’re willing to do the work.
But the work has to get done. That work may again include walking the
picket line and withholding your labor. But it definitely includes going
door to door and talking to other grads about the GEO.
Right now we have enough organizers to pull off a limited work stoppage
in five buildings. That’s impressive, and it speaks well of our organizers
and of the grads whose participation made the action a success. But we
aren’t going to win recognition with a targeted two-day work stoppage.
We need more organizers. An open ended strike can make our union or it
can break it. Success won’t be determined on the picket line — it will
be determined by the groundwork we lay in the months between then and
now. You know you want a contract. The question is, are you willing to
do what’s necessary to get it?
To help, contact the GEO office via e-mail at geo@uigeo.org
or at 344-8283.
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