The Board’s editorial goes wrong when it attempts to characterize both the nature of our current contract negotiations and the state of the University’s budget. The GEO brought a comprehensive contract proposal to the bargaining table on April 21st of this year, the first day of negotiations with the administration. That proposal included not only a living wage, but also improvements to health and child care, as well as non-monetary issues such as tuition-waiver security. Despite multiple negotiation sessions, the administration’s bargaining team did not respond with a counter proposal until August 11th, nearly four months later and just four days before our previous contract expired. The administration’s proposal would have frozen our wages for three years, meaning that in an inflationary environment graduate employees would actually receive less compensation in terms of real wages. Moreover, the administration proposal would have removed basic labor rights, such as filing a grievance based on racial, gender, religious, ethnic, or other forms of discrimination. The administration also sought to reserve the right to fire or furlough graduate employees at will, with neither reason nor notice, and to compensate employees not with money, but with “in-kind” goods and services. Such a proposal is clearly unacceptable. As a result, graduate employees have been working under the terms of an expired contract for the entirety of this semester. We nonetheless continue to negotiate. Our bargaining team has presented serious counterproposals, including concessions on monetary issues. Each and every one of these proposals has been rejected or ignored by the administration.
Whether due to a calculated omission or just a lack of knowledge, the Daily Illini Board’s editorial focuses exclusively on the issue of a living wage. In so doing, they misreport the current living wage for an academic year in Urbana-Champaign. The number they cite, $15,474, corresponds to AY 08-09. The living wage for the current academic year – as calculated by University administrators themselves and posted on the Graduate College’s website – is actually $16,086. This alone provides valuable testimony for the need to raise wages in response to inflation. What the editorial does not mention is that the administration’s calculation fails to factor in over $1,000 in fees that a graduate student will pay this year. (Worse yet, the editorial makes the completely false claim that graduate employees receive “book fees.” Such a fee category does not exist, and graduate employees spend significant amounts on books each semester.) A graduate employee working the standard 50% appointment and earning the current minimum salary of $13,430 will fall short of a minimum wage by $2,656 dollars before paying another $1,000 in fees. Overall, more than half of all TAs and GAs earn less than a living wage. Like undergraduates, we often make up the difference by taking out loans or working second jobs. Most graduate employees, however, are at a significantly different stage of life. We bear our financial burdens while maintaining grueling research and writing schedules, while trying to pay off our own undergraduate loans, and, in roughly ten percent of the cases, while raising families – with all of the extra financial and time constraints that go along with it. Meanwhile, international students, who comprise over one-third of the graduate student body (37.4% last year), are legally barred from taking additional work and must survive on their assistantships. Asking for enough money to live on while we juggle multiple sets of demanding responsibilities is in no way whatsoever a symptom of greed or a lack of logic. Rather, it is a thoroughly rational demand for the respect due to hard workers.
Regardless, the Board maintains that demanding such respect in the face of current budget difficulties is illogical. The truth is that accepting the administration’s claims of budgetary crisis without further investigation is not only illogical, it is evidence of a failure to carry out the basic journalistic duties of research and fact checking. Less than one fifth of the University’s budget is derived from State revenues (in FY 09 it was 17.2%). The rest comes largely from tuition, grants, donations, investments, and self-sustaining sources of income. Last year on our campus tuition was increased by $401 per student, per semester, resulting in revenue growth of 14.5%. Investment income from the University’s endowment rose 5% last year and, as former President Joe White stated to the incoming Board of Trustees earlier this year, it has performed better than expected in our poor economy. What’s more, as the Daily Illini itself reported on August 19th, in FY 09 “the University brought in enough donations to experience one of the top five fundraising years in its 142-year history — all in spite of the economic downturn and the University admissions scandal.” The total represents “a 2.6% increase from fiscal year 2008.” And while it’s true that Illinois is in a difficult fiscal position, and that State politics have held up the approval of this year’s budget, it’s also true that the budget includes a 1.1% increase in funding for public higher education. Federal stimulus money, meanwhile, will provide an additional $53.3 million dollars this year. The University’s current fiscal issues are clearly not due to a lack of resources. In fact, raising the minimum salary for TAs and GAs to a living wage would cost less than two-tenths of one percent of the campus budget.
Clearly, the financial burdens faced by graduate employees are due less to budget shortfalls than to major shortcomings in the administration’s priorities. UIUC’s FY 09 budget saw an increase of over $103 million, or 7%, from FY 08. Where was this increased funding allocated? Not especially to academic colleges, which saw much smaller increases: in LAS it was 2.8%, in Agriculture 2%, in Education 1.8%, and in Engineering 1.3%. Overall, the percentage of the budget directed to “instruction” rose only 0.8%. However, the Chief Information Officer’s budget rose by 10.9% and the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement saw an increase of 12.1%. “Other Administrative Units” recorded an increase of 10.2%. While such figures indicate a bloated administration, it is even more helpful to point to concrete examples of egregious waste, such as the highly touted but dismally performing Global Campus, which lost a whopping $5.95 million last year before being severely downsized by the Board of Trustees. Worse yet, while graduate employees were working for substandard wages, Chancellor Herman was diverting over $300,000 of “discretionary funds” to insure that a couple dozen politically well-connected but undeserving students were accepted to law school. Once this ethical lapse was discovered, the administration spent at least another $440,000 dollars in legal fees as it responded to the Governor’s investigation. Later it was discovered that Chancellor Herman dipped further into his discretionary funds to provide a $115,000 salary to the Board of Trustees Chairman’s future-son-in-law.
As a reward for their exemplary stewardship, our University’s top administrators receive vastly inordinate salaries and benefits. For example, in 2007-08 former President White earned $555,000 and had a house and a car provided by the state. In that same year, Chancellor Herman earned $427,500 and had a car provided by the state. As if this wasn’t enough, Herman received an 8.6% raise the following year. By way of comparison, a graduate employee earning the minimum salary of $13,002 received only a 3.3% increase. Even former President White’s ignoble downfall (which sadly required him to forfeit a $450,000 retention bonus) has provided a soft landing: he will be earning some $300,000 as a professor in the school of business.
Despite the GEO’s clear signals that administrative costs, including salaries, should be among the first targets of any necessary cutbacks, the Daily Illini Board’s editorial falsely implies that we have suggested cutting faculty salaries. This is absolutely false. In fact, the GEO advocates for higher salaries for the increasing percentage of our faculty, such as adjuncts and visiting professors, that are not in tenure-track positions. Moreover, the GEO does not believe that higher education budgets are a zero-sum game, with one group of students or workers pitted against another. We understand our own efforts to be part of a much larger movement to restore public higher education to the level of fiscal priority that it once enjoyed, and still deserves, in our country. We have and will continue to lobby the Illinois State Legislature for increased funding for our public university system. As the photo which recently ran on the front page of the Daily Illini makes clear, GEO members were in attendance at the governor’s recent rally for the restoration of MAP funding. We are also currently working to support non-unionized, undergraduate TAs in the Chemistry department who have recently had their Spring tuition waivers repealed after the deadline to apply for federal financial aid – in some cases the only other available source of funding – had passed.
Regarding tuition waivers, the Board’s editorial did not even mention that a major plank of the GEO’s bargaining platform is simply a guarantee that administrators will not withdraw the tuition waivers that have traditionally been a condition of graduate employment. Providing such a guarantee in the GEO contract would not increase University expenses in the least, but it would protect graduate employees from the very real possibility of losing the chance to finish their degrees. Just last year the GEO spearheaded a major drive to prevent the approval of a set of proposals, put forth by the Provost’s office, that would have stripped tuition waivers from many graduate employee positions. Without those waivers, graduate education would be a certain impossibility for many less privileged members of our society. Considering that just 6.6% of all graduate assistants are from “underrepresented” racial and ethnic categories, we can clearly not afford to take that step. The GEO works hard to help ensure access to higher education for all. By reducing the GEO’s position to a selfish and illogical grab for cash, the Editorial Board is insulting not only those of us who have worked strenuously and voluntarily for a cause in which we firmly believe, but also the integrity of the very newspaper that they purportedly serve.
That integrity is severely undermined when the Board cites only the opinions of “several TAs” in order to justify the claim that the GEO “represents a small percentage of the entirety of graduate students and TAs.” The truth is that the GEO officially and legally represents over 2,700 graduate students who labor as TAs and GAs on our campus. One must also consider that, though we do not officially represent graduate students who work as Research Assistants (RAs) and Pre-Professional Graduate Assistants (PGAs), these students have received the same improvements in salary and benefits as the workers that we do represent. Those benefits are significant. Prior to 2003, when the GEO won a decade-long moral and legal battle for official recognition as a union, graduate employee wages had been frozen, dental and vision care was not included in the health insurance package, and the University made no contribution to graduate employees’ health care premiums. Since the GEO began representing graduate employees in 2003, wages have increased yearly, grads enjoy dental and vision coverage, and the university contributes 50% of health care premium costs. These gains are just part of the basis for our widespread backing throughout campus. Especially in those departments where graduate degrees require multiple years of study and where salaries fall below a living wage, the GEO enjoys the active support of a majority of graduate students.
We urge all members of the campus community to ignore the uninformed and hastily drawn conclusions of the Daily Illini Editorial Board. Pay heed, instead, to the voice of your democratically elected Student Senate, which just last Spring passed an official resolution in support of the GEO’s contract platform.
Sincerely,
The Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO)
IFT/AFT Local 6300

AGEL Semi-Annual Conference
Spring, 2008
May 22-25, 2008
GEO-University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign
Unless otherwise noted, all workshops/plenaries/etc will be located in the University YMCA Building, 1001 S. Wright Street, Champaign.

Thursday, May 22, 2008
7:00-9:00 PM Informal Welcome (Esquire)
Friday, May 23, 2008
8:30-9:00 AM Breakfast & Registration
9:00-10:20 AM Introductions, Conference Overview
Introduction to AFT
(Jack Nightingale ? AFT & Dave Dobbie ? GEO-UMICH)
10:30 AM-Noon
a) Organizing 101
(Rob Henn)
Organizing 101 will help union activists new and old learn how to engage in a good organizing conversation for any and all purposes!
b) Leadership Development: Recruiting and retaining effective leaders (Mike Bader)
Noon-1:00 PM Lunch
1:00-2:30 PM a) Making Effective Use of Grievances: Organizing, Member Mobilization, and Contract Negotiations
(Dave Kamper – IFT & Dave Beck ? GEO-UIUC)
Grievances are a vital part of what we do as unions – not just because contract enforcement by itself is important but because grievances often serve as launching pads for organizing campaigns, within departments and beyond. This workshop will explore the ins and outs of using grievances to grow the union.
b) Developing Ad Hoc Groups and Caucuses around issues and identities (Lori Serb ? GEO-UIUC)
Discussion around creating conditions for caucuses that are openly organized and committed to multicultural and democratic vision within the Union. Providing resources to individuals to create collective strength around interrelated issues of race, class, sexuality and gender and carrying out ideas that improve the Union internally and challenge traditional Union strategies.
2:45-4:00 PM b) Strategic Planning and leadership retreats (Brian
Dolber ? GEO-UIUC, Heidi Lawson ? GEO-UIC, & Dave Cecil – GTFF)
One of two workshops being offered. Flip a coin. What the hell else you gonna do?
b) Building a Larger Community (working with other labor and community groups) (John Gergely – GEO-UIUC, Kerry Pimblott ? GEO-UIUC)
We often invoke “solidarity” in email signatures and picket chants, but we don’t always take the time to consider the different conceptualizations and implementations that the word encompasses. We hope to discuss both the abstract (how do we define solidarity? and with whom?) and the practical (how do we show solidarity? how do others show solidarity with us?).
5:00-7:00 Dinner at Independent Media Center
(Prof. Antonia Darder will be our guest speaker)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
8:30-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00-10:30 AM Developing Bargaining Strategies (UMICH case study)
(Helen Ho ? GEO-UMICH)
After a one day strike, GEO at Michigan signed an historic contract that included a 13.2% salary increase over three years and key protections and subsidies for childcare and mental health. Come hear their story and discuss their successful strategy.
10:45 AM-Noon a) Mapping/Charting potential members
(Dave Rowland ? GEO-UMICH & Amber Cooper ? GEO-UIC)
b) LeaderNet and other Online Resources
(Nate Johnson – AFT)
This session will provide an overview of the resources available on as
well as off AFT’s Leadernet related to organizing, researching your
institution and negotiating contracts. Tools discussed will include AFT
bargaining calculators, the GetActive email mobilization and outreach
tool, the survey creator and more.
Noon-2:00 Lunch (1st floor, YMCA)
2:00-3:30 a) Grievances/Negotiations:Using the AFT Contract Database
(Nate Johnson, AFT Research)
This session will provide an in-depth look the AFT Contract Database
(www.aftlaborcontracts.org) which allows users to access more than 1500 AFT contracts.
We will discuss using the contract database in the context of
negotiations and grievances.
b) Political Action (Mark Supanich – TAA, Carrie Wadman – MGAA)
This workshop will focus on ways to recruit, educate, train, activate, and develop union members for political action. Additionally, guidance on setting up a Committee On Political Education will be provided.
4:00-6:00 PM AGEL Meeting
FACE Campaign
National Convention (Chicago)
Co-Chairs for 2008-09
Fall AGEL location
6:30-9:00 PM IFT Dinner at Illini Union served by our SEIU brothers and sisters!
(Heidi Lawson, co-pres of GEO-UIC and grad rep to the IFT Executive Council, will speak)
9:00-?? House Party!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
9:00-9:30 AM Breakfast (Union Courtyard Cafe)
9:30-11:00 AM State/Regional Caucuses (Union Courtyard Cafe)
A chance for locals related by state or region to discuss issues/goals that they share.

Co-Presidents (vote for 2)
___Alex Alverio
I graduated with a bachelors in psychology and speech communication
here at U of I in May 2006. I am a masters student at the Institute of
Labor and Industrial Relations. I was on the previous GEO
negotiating/bargaining team and also the grievance committee. I have
taken many classes related to unions such as employment law, collective
bargaining, health care and will take workplace dispute resolution
which deals with grievances, mediation and arbitration next semester. I
am involved with the Labor Education Program at ILIR which provides
training to various unions to become better unions. If elected, I will
focus on organizing and getting more grievances so that we can have
more leverage during our next negotiations. I will engage in outreach
to other organizations that we have solidarity with such as the STOP
coalition. I will also attempt to get the GEO involved with the Labor
Education Program so that for example the next bargaining team will
have training and be well prepared before entering the next
negotiations.
___Brian Dolber
Since coming to the Institute of Communications Research at the
University of Illinois, I have been an active member of the GEO. I
have served as department steward, Steward?s Council co-chair, and
Communications Officer on the Coordinating Committee. Now, I would be
pleased to serve the GEO as Co-President.
We accomplished a lot this year, and I was very moved to see so many
graduate employees get involved and fight for a fair contract.
However, union activism cannot be based solely around a contract
schedule. It must be a constant fight for fairness and respect within
our workplace on a daily basis. Now that we have a contract we need
to build our union in several ways.
First, we must build our membership. Thirty-four percent of our
bargaining unit are members. This is a all-time high for us, but it is
not enough. We must be on-track to represent at least 50 percent of
the unit by the time of the next contract. As co-president, I would
work with the SC to develop an organizing strategy to put us on that
track.
Second, we need to build a union culture of solidarity. The GEO should
not just be another institution on campus, or a provider of services.
It should be central to the every day life of each graduate employee.
As co-president, I would work with the Communications Committee to
develop a ?visioning process,? and determine how to make our union
relevant to all members of our diverse community.
Third, we need to build the skills of our staff. I have been very
pleased to get to know Lori, David and Douglas, and develop good
working relationships with them as an activist and officer. As a
former union staff member with SEIU and AFT, I understand the important
role that staff play in developing a union. I also understand the
tensions that sometimes arise between members and staff. As
co-president, I would make sure that our staff are working in the
interests of members, and help them develop so that they can best
serve the union?s needs.
Finally, we need to build our relationships with other unions and
organizations, locally and nationally. I have attended meetings of
the Champaign County AFL-CIO. We need to show solidarity with other
workers in our community so that we all benefit together. We should
also expand our involvement in key coalitions, like STOP, in order to
combat the institutional racism that affects all workers on this
campus. Nationally, we must support the efforts of our affiliate, the
American Federation of Teachers, who are at the forefront of fighting
for academic freedom. access to education. and other issues that impact
us as academic laborers and as students. At the same time, we must
work to ensure that our distinct voices and concerns are heard as
graduate employees within the AFT and the Illinois Federation of
Teachers. I have already been in communication with other leaders from
grad unions about these very issues.
It has been a pleasure to serve GEO members in the multiple positions
I?ve held. I hope to continue having that pleasure as your union?s
Co-President.
___Sang Lee
I am a first year masters student and steward in the urban planning
department. But being in graduate school wasn’t my first experience
with the GEO. When I did my undergraduate studies here are UIUC in the
late 90s I was a strong supporter of my TAs. Then I had the great
opportunity to work as a staff organizer for the GEO from 2001-2003
when we held our successful vote for recognition. But that success
didn?t come easily. It took thousands of hours of face to face
conversations, a two day work stoppage, and a take over of the Swanland
Administrative Building. During those two years I got to see how the
fight for justice could unite thousands of graduate employees on campus
together. I want to see our union continue to be a unifying force on
campus and I hope that you all will consider me for co-president.
In this coming year I think it will be vital to continue building the
union though face to face organizing. I also think it’s important for
us to be as inclusive as possible to all grad employees by having child
and family friendly events and meetings. I also believe in the power
of a good time as a way to build the union. We may be employees, but
we’re also interesting people who like to meet other interesting
people. So I hope we can build the union by being able to connect to
one another on a personal level as well. Also, during this period
between contract negotiations, we should take the time to do more
research on the university healthcare plan and other options. Lastly,
we should continue to build solidarity with other grad unions across
the country and local unions in CU. I hope you consider these issues
as important as I do and give me your vote!
___Eric Young
My name is Erik Young, and I am currently completing my first year as a
PhD student and Research Assistant in the Institute of Labor and
Industrial Relations. I am seeking the office Co-President primarily
because I feel the Graduate Employee’s Organization needs to move
towards a more positive and productive relationship with the University
Administration. There was (and still is) much well-deserved frustration
and anger expressed about the way that bargaining progressed this past
year. However, the best way to remedy this is to move to an
interest-based (win-win) approach to bargaining rather than a
distributive (a gain for one side is a loss for the other) model. This
requires an honest and frank exchange at the bargaining table. The only
way to have this is to establish a positive relationship with the
University. This will also allow us to reach out to a wider, more
diverse group of graduate employees and students, thereby increasing
and strengthening out membership.
There are those who believe that an adversarial relationship is the
best or only approach that the union has in reaching its objectives.
There are those who argue that an adversarial approach will send the
wrong message to our membership, or that if we foster a positive
relationship with the University we will somehow not be able to fully
provide for the needs of our members. This is precisely the attitude
that we need to change. This is the type of thinking that comes from ‘a
gain for one is a loss for the other.’ There is no reason to believe
that having a better relationship with the University will make it more
difficult to provide the needed services for our members. In fact, it
will have the opposite effect. Fostering a positive relationship will
put us in a stronger position to provide for our members because it
will provide us access and a voice in contract administration and –
more importantly — allow us to gain membership and move to
interest-based bargaining.
An adversarial relationship with the University will hinder us from
achieving our collective goals. Interest-based bargaining and a
positive relationship is the best way of getting to where we all strive
to be.
Treasurer (vote for 1)
___John Gergely
Grievances Officer (vote for 1)
___Alex Alverio
___Brian Dolber
___Mike Lehman
Communications Officer
(vote for 1)
___Will Hope
___Rich Potter
At-Large Officers (vote for 3)
___Dave Bates
___Stephen Jug
___Carolina Sternberg

Why do we pay the IFT, AFT, and AFL-CIO?
The GEO is part of the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the AFL-CIO. The money we pay to these organizations allows the GEO to utilize resources that are shared by all affiliated local unions. Examples of how our affiliates have helped include:

• Bargaining support: We have an IFT negotiations expert at every bargaining session with the UI administration. S/he helps train our bargaining team and provides valuable insight during the process.
• National Influence: Through the AFT, graduate unions are working with a coalition of other organizations to defend academic freedom and to promote shared governance on campuses across the country.
• Legal: The GEO has repeatedly used the IFT legal counsel to secure collective bargaining rights. Furthermore, IFT has filed unfair labor practices with the Labor Board on GEO’s behalf.
• Legal / Contract Enforcement: GEO has a legal obligation to represent all employees in grievances regardless of their membership status. All employees in the bargaining unit can file grievances, some of which may be heard in third party arbitration. Arbitration is an expensive process but it is a step we need to be prepared to take when necessary. As a member of the IFT Local Legal Trust, our arbitration costs are fully funded.
• Lobbying: The IFT helped to pass a bill through the state legislature to ensure collective bargaining rights for grad employees at public institutions in Illinois. The state AFL-CIO helped change state law to allow the spouse or dependent of international students/employees to obtain drivers licenses. This directly affects a number of GEO members.
• Recognition fight: The IFT supported the GEO through its decade-long struggle to unionize this campus. They provided us with vital financial, legal, and political resources. The IFT paid all legal fees when the GEO took its recognition suit to the Illinois State Supreme Court! The local AFL-CIO helped organize religious leaders in the community to pressure the UI to allow grad employees to choose union representation.
• Education: The AFT finances 2 conferences per year where grad unionists can come together and share bargaining and organizing resources.

Local Budget
There are many aspects to a thriving union. It is critical that we have the following:

• A qualified permanent staff that can help coordinate membership drives, keep in touch with stewards, help employees with grievances, and generally coordinate GEO activists.
• Contingency Fund: The GEO sets aside funds that may be required to handle unforeseen circumstances. A dispute with the University that led to a strike might bankrupt the GEO unless we keep money ready to meet the challenge.
• Organizing: A successful union must have a strong and active membership. The GEO is well known for its fun events, but these events are not just about having fun. They serve as important avenues for increasing our membership and getting out our message.
• Office: These funds provide for the day-to-day operations of the GEO. The GEO pays rent for offices in the University YMCA. In addition, there are the regular expenses of maintaining an office: phone lines, copy toner, Internet service, etc.
• Contract Bargaining: Clearly, bargaining is a central part of this year?s activities. Training and consulting specific to bargaining as well as materials needed for contract ratification will be covered with these funds.
• Training: Maintaining a dynamic and effective union requires leadership training as well as instruction on the specific tasks such as grievance handling, financial management and coalition-building.

Here are some frequently asked questions that pertain to international
students. You can find more answers to questions like these on our FAQ
page. If you still have questions about the GEO or rights, contact
the geo at geo@uigeo.org or call us
at 344-8283. We’d be happy to talk with you about any concerns or questions
you may have.

Q. Do I have the same Constitutional protections as
domestic students?

A. YES, international students
have protection under the Constitution. This right has been repeatedly
upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court:

• In Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356 (1986), the Supreme
  Court held that the constitution, and in particular the 14th amendment,
  applied to all inhabitants of the U.S. who are "either permanently
  or temporarily residing in the territory of the United States."
  • 14th Amendment, Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in
    the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
    citizens of the United States
    and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce
    any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens
    of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of
    life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny
    to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the
    laws.

• In Bridges v. California, 314 U.S. 252 (1941), the
  Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment’s guarantees of free
  speech
  and association apply to internationals.
  • 1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting
    an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
    thereof; or abridging the
    freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
    peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for
    a redress of grievances.

Q. I’m an international student. If I join the Union,
will the University retaliate against me? Will I be in danger of losing
my assistantship or deportation?

A. No. Every international graduate student, regardless
of national origin or type of visa, has the right to join a union. Your
right to belong to a union is protected by the right to freedom of association
guaranteed in the United States Constitution. The United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights Article 20 also says that "Everyone has
the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his (or
her) interests." The University’s own Statement
on Individual Rights from the Code of Policies and Regulations Applying
to All Students states that students "have at least the rights
and responsibilities common to all citizens." This statement is
not exclusionary of international students–it applies to all of us.
The University’s
non-discrimination statement also says that they cannot discriminate
against someone because of their "national origin."

That discrimination exists against international students,
however, is clear. This is even more of a reason that international students
should join the GEO and help fight for union recognition. Only with an
union, independent of the University administration, can you be assured
that if you are subject to discrimination by the administration that there
is a group that will stand behind you and will help to defend you.

In fact, international graduate assistants have many reasons
to join the Union and fight for representation:

• The union can provide a voice and advocacy for international
  graduate students who don’t always know the U.S. university system.
• A union can help ensure that departmental hiring practices are
  clear, open, and fair so that international graduate students don’t
  miss out on work opportunities.
• Since U.S. law prohibits international students from being paid for
  more than 20 hours per week, the need for a minimum stipend that
  guarantees a decent living standard is even more critical for them.
• Better and more affordable benefits, a fair and enforceable grievance
  procedure, higher wages, a voice in our working conditions, and respect
  as employees are things all assistants and their families deserve.

Links to other web pages about GEO’s involvement in issues
important to international students:

4/2003: Spouses of International Students Allowed to Obtain Driver’s
Licenses, Briefly

9/2002: GEO Reacts To New Policy On International Grad Employee Pay

2/2001: International
Grads Working for Justice

9/2000-12/2001: International
Graduate Assistants Docked Pay!

3/1999: University
to End In-State Tuition Benefit for Spouses of Graduate Employees

11/1998: Orchard
Downs Residents Call for Renovations to Ailing Grad Housing Units

2/1997: Fair
and Just: International Grads Support Unionization

11/1997: Orchard
Downs: Keep It Affordable for Graduate Families