To the editors:
In an October 15th editorial entitled “GEO request: Good idea, rough timing,” the Daily Illini Editorial Board argued that while a living wage is wholly deserved, the current budget situation makes asking for it illogical. Respectfully, the GEO begs to differ.
While the editorial correctly evaluates the importance of Teaching Assistants (TAs) by noting that “our University would have a tough time functioning without them,” it leaves out the hard facts that back up this claim. In AY 08-09, 23.1% of all course hours on our campus were taught by TAs. Of the crucial 100 level courses that initiate freshmen students into the world of university academics, 40.5% were taught by TAs, many of whom are the sole instructor of record for their courses. In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), the largest on our campus, one-third of all course hours were taught by TAs. As for the quality of our work, 83.3% of TAs received average scores of 4 or 5 on their ICES surveys, compared to 85.1% of faculty. Not too bad, considering that faculty members have the benefit of years of experience, as well as more control over syllabi, grading scales, etc. TAs are clearly an integral and positive part of the undergraduate experience, and a principal reason for the University’s stellar academic reputation, as evidenced by it’s current 9th place ranking in US News and World Report’s listing of US public universities. It should be noted, however, that the GEO also represents Graduate Assistants (GAs), who play a significant role in maintaining such campus facilities as libraries, performance arts centers, museums, recreational centers, health services, and specialized academic units. We are indeed students, but we are also workers who contribute crucial labor to our campus community.

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As part of the GEO’s efforts to bring the attention of the university community to its contract negotiations, GEO members are staffing a table on the quad every day from 11-1. The purpose is to count down the number of days that grad employees have worked without a contract and to collect canned goods for the Eastern Illinois Foodbank. To volunteer to staff the table, or to have your department sponsor the table for a week please contact Peter Campbell at odell.campbell@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to take the 5 minute member survey in order to provide important feedback to the Bargaining Team. The url for this survey is http://tinyurl.com/bargainingsurveygeo and the password was provided to members in an October 5 geo-l email.

Thanks to a generous grant from the IFT, the GEO has hired three new temporary staff organizers. Drop by the office to welcome them.
Tristan Bunner is a 2008 graduate from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. He has been involved in political organizing for over 7 years, the last 4 years with the labor movement in particular. He is very excited to be working with the GEO and sees a lot of potential for success in this campaign.
Miriam Larson is an Urbana native who recently moved back from Minneapolis, Minnesota where she co-founded and worked as a volunteer organizer for the Experimental College of the Twin Cities, an organization that started in response to cuts to access in higher education at several area universities (more info at www.excotc.org). Miriam spent her last year working as an Americorps member with a domestic violence organization, Casa de Esperanza. She graduated from Macalester College with a double major in American Studies and Music and continues to play music with a local Urbana contra-dance band.
Amy Livingston is a 2009 graduate of the MA program in Philosophy at the University of Memphis, where she was also a graduate employee. She has extensive experience as a community organizer in Memphis but is new to organized labor. She is eager to support the members of the GEO in their struggle for justice in the workplace.

2nd Annual Caucus Drag Ball
Saturday, September 19
8-11 pm
Urbana-Champaign Indymedia Center
202 S. Broadway (near Lincoln Square)
$2
The LGBTQA Caucus of the Graduate Employees Organization and the UIUC Women’s Center are hosting the second annual drag show at the Urbana-Champaign Indymedia Center in downtown Urbana. Come out for a night of fabulous drag performances – we will have kings, queens, and everyone else along the gender spectrum. You don’t have to perform to attend. Feel free to come in costume! There will be a cash bar, so be sure to bring your ID.
The proceeds from the event will support local activists making the trip to Washington DC this October for the National Equality March. For more info see: http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=19