Caucuses & Committees
GEO has several standing committees and caucuses outlined in our bylaws. These are generally convened around issues of social oppression, or urgent questions and concerns that GEO members want to strategize and organize around. Below is an incomplete list of the committees within GEO, along with the point people you can contact to get more involved in them! Don’t see a committee for the issue you’re interested in? Write to geo@umass.edu! We’ll help create that space and bring people together in it.
Standing Committees (active)
Organizing Committee – This committee is a group of folks who think that the bread and butter of the union is organizing! We are graduate student workers that continuously create, facilitate, and participate in direct actions, social events, one-on-ones, and anything to do with labor or tenant organizing! Our mission is to develop organizers through compassion, education, and power-building; cultivate spaces of belonging, growth, and experimentation; improve the material conditions of all grad workers; and develop networks of collective power to build a more just and equitable world. If you care about building a strong working class labor movement, developing as an organizer, and engaging in direct action and activism, then come join us! We hold weekly hybrid meetings. For more information, contact membership organizer Thomas Morrison (tmorrison@geouaw.org).
Bargaining Committee – This is a committee that forms when the union goes into negotiations (collective bargaining) with the university for the next employment contract. The committee is composed of a mix of elected positions and volunteer members. GEO is committed to open bargaining and militant organizing, so transparency is important to us: ALL members are welcome and encouraged to attend bargaining sessions and get involved with bargaining. Generally speaking, the BC is tasked with strategizing a contract campaign and eescalation campaign, doing research, drafting proposals, communicating with members and getting members involved in the process, organizing rallies and other collective actions, and of course, sitting down with administration to advocate on behalf of the members and argue to win us a strong contract. Ultimately, we are strongest when we stand together and take collective action. For more information, contact bargaining@geouaw.org
Abolition Committee – The Abolition Committee stands in solidarity with calls for abolition from the UMass Amherst undergraduate student body, Western Mass, community organizations, and students and workers at colleges and universities across the higher education landscape. Abolition is a multi-faceted political endeavor rooted in Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty, and there are many precedents for labor union coalition with abolitionist movements, including our local UAW 2322. As members of a union with a long history of activism and organizing, the Abolition Committee will offer leadership in this work, beginning with an educational campaign about abolition intended for membership. For more information, contact Shane Henckel (shane@geouaw.org)
International Caucus – The international student caucus is a space for international students within GEO. Whether you are familiar with the concept of labor organizing and unions or not, you are welcome; we believe that our union is not a space for those already “in the know,” but for all our members. The caucus has a simple structure, mainly two co-chairs which are elected on an annual basis; all other roles are on a volunteer basis. In the past, we organized events where international graduate students shared food, experiences, and frustrations about life and work. We regularly invite folks from GEO’s leadership for meetings focused on issues specific to international workers (Visa, labor laws, health benefits) and make sure we have members who can raise these issues in official settings (for example, bargaining meetings). For more information, contact the International Caucus at alanacaucus557@gmail.com!
Disability & Accessibility Caucus – The Disability & Accessibility Caucus is a space for disabled graduate students and their allies within GEO. We gather to provide community and advocate for ourselves and others with any kind of disability (mental, physical, short-term, chronic, etc). Our volunteer work focuses on drafting better protections in our contract and supporting accessibility efforts around the campus. We meet semi-regularly over zoom; for more information, join our Slack Channel #disability_accommodations.
Palestine Solidarity Caucus – The Palestine Solidarity Caucus provides a space for sustainable discussion, education, and collective action regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. The caucus recognizes the relationship between organized labor and international humanitarian causes, including the occupation of Palestine. We seek to reaffirm GEO’s 2003 resolution for divestment from the Israeli occupation and 2016 endorsement of BDS. More widely, we call on the University of Massachusetts, UAW International, and UAW Local 2322 to divest from the Israeli occupation, call on the government to end military aid to Israel, and to donate to Palestinian relief efforts. We provide spaces for political education and healthy conversations as we work toward liberation and peace. For more information, contact geo.palestine.solidarity@gmail.com
People of Color Caucus – The People of Color (POC) Caucus in GEO functions as a space for workers of color. Our aim is to address concerns of racism in the workplace and we remain steadfast in our commitment to abolish the imperialist, neo-colonial state. If you have any further inquiries, please contact sbano@umass.edu.
Elections Committee – The membership annually elects an Elections Committee to oversee the election of officers and at-large members of the Steering Committee. This committee must be composed of at least five members, none of whom are seeking office or are currently elected officers or at-large members of the Steering Committee.
2023-24 Elections Committee: Alison Russell, Cassandra Delvey, Candace Powning, Clara Higgins, and Connor Kennedy
Finance Committee – The Finance Committee is responsible for communicating with the Local 2322 Finance Committee, attending Joint Council meetings, drafting the annual budget for the unit, and preparing requisitions for the Joint Council. The annual budget for the unit will be presented at the first membership meeting of the spring semester and passed by a simple majority. All members have responsibilities that include serving on Local 2322 Finance Committee, attending all Joint Council meetings, drafting the annual budget for the unit, and preparing requisitions for the Joint Council. The annual budget for the unit will be presented at the first membership meeting of the spring semester and passed by a simple majority.