Hi fellow workers,
We hope you’re doing well during this busy time with finals and end of semester. Read on for some important updates!
OFFICE CLOSURE FOR WINTER BREAK
The GEO office will be closed starting today, 12/20, and reopen on 1/8. If you need anything urgent, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via the GEO external email address (geo). This account will continue to be monitored throughout this period!
NEXT GEO BARGAINING SESSION: 1/08, 1-3pm in Campus Center 168C
On January 8th from 1-3pm in Campus Center 168C, we will be having our SEVENTH bargaining session. Attending bargaining sessions are a way for us to demonstrate our collective power to the administration and a way to demand the fair treatment, conditions, and wages WE deserve.
Questions or want to get involved? Contact us at bargaining
PRO WILL HAVE THEIR NEXT BARGAINING SESSION: 1/02, 10-12pm in Campus Center 904
PRO, the postdoc union at UMass, will be having their third bargaining session starting at 9am on December 19th in Campus Center 904. The PRO co-chairs have asked that any GEO members in the area come to their session in solidarity. PRO has consistently shown up for GEO and we should continue to show up for them.
ABOLITION COMMITTEE’S STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY
In light of the recent arrests on campus, including a Black undergraduate who was arrested after calling UMPD for help, the Abolition Committee has written a statement of solidarity. Please read the statement here.
PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAUCUS: INTERDEPARTMENTAL STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY
GEO’s Palestine Solidarity Caucus has asked us to share their interdepartmental statement of solidarity. They invite all members to sign on to the statement and stand with Palestinians, demand UMass demilitarize, and show solidarity with all those being silenced, suppressed, and reprimanded by the UMass Administration.
HOUSING RESOURCE:
Here is a housing resource for graduate students, shared by one of our members. This is with the hope of sharing a legitimate housing platform for folk to find leads in case they need it, called “OFFICIAL UMass Amherst Off-Campus Housing (by students for students).”
GET INVOLVED: OUR ACTIVE CAUCUSES & COMMITTEES
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)
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Organizing committee meets every Monday from 4-5:30pm in Campus Center 915 and over Zoom. Want to get more involved? Follow us on slack to get the link or email tmorrison
BARGAINING COMMITTEE
The bargaining committee has been meeting on Mondays from 1:30-3:30 at Campus Center 917 (with a new meeting time to be announced for the upcoming semester!). Meetings are open to all members as we discuss proposals and action items regarding the bargaining process. Please make sure to come in order to participate in bargaining and provide your inputs. bargaining
DISABILITY 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 or contact tmorrison
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 slawendy
PEOPLE OF COLOR (POC) CAUCUS
The People of Color 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
GEO WRITTEN TESTIMONIALS
If you’re uncomfortable sitting behind a camera and recording a video testimonial for why you joined GEO, no worries! We have an alternative option for folks who want to participate.
In the provided google form, please fill in whichever question you want to answer about why YOU joined the union and the various ways you have been involved. We’d love to hear from you so please share your thoughts!
You can sign up here.
