20 Mar SOLIDARITY STATEMENT FOR UIC GEO
To all the wonderful UIC students in the Graduate Employees Organization Local #6297:
SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT FOR UIC GEO
UIC United Faculty stands in full solidarity with the UIC Graduate Employees Organization, Local #6297, in its fight to win a fair and just contract, and its members’ decision to withhold their labor to get this result.
Graduate workers at UIC deserve a living wage that is suited to a Research I university. You deserve fee waivers and protections to assure your hard earned wages are not reduced, which in some cases is to nearly nothing. And you deserve reasonable notification of appointments and reappointments. In short, you deserve RESPECT!
We understand that a strike is not an action you want to take. However, based on the last decade of the administration’s consistent behavior at the bargaining table, which is continuing even now on the eve of your strike, it is clear why striking is necessary to get the contract the GEO deserves in order to improve conditions now and in the future for all graduate student workers.
We are watching closely to see how the administration and UI leadership respond as we move into mediation on our own contracts. It is our hope that the Board of Trustees and President will lead in changing the anti-union culture in the UI system, so that future contracts can be worked on collaboratively–with labor, instead of against it.
We are unequivocally urging all faculty to honor GEO picket lines, and offer support in any way we can to help you win a fair contract, no matter how long it takes.
You will win this!
UIC United Faculty, Local #6456
IFT-AFT, AAUP, AFL-CIO