Dear fellow members,
Ahead of GEO’s next session with the mediator on Monday, July 22nd, the bargaining committee will hold a meeting to discuss and prepare with members. Please join the Bargaining Committee on Wednesday, July 17 at 4:30 pm over Zoom to discuss and prepare for our strategy for the next mediation session. Please join using the link here: https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/j/96726080977
All GEO members will have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on how we will respond to the administration’s last economics package. Please see the bargaining update on July 10th, or the table at the bottom of this email, to compare the major differences between admin’s and GEO’s economics packages. GEO’s last package was proposed at the bargaining table on March 26th, and Admin’s most recent proposal was made in mediation on June 26th.
There have been fruitful discussions in the last couple weeks between elected union leadership, including bargaining coordinators and staff, around the union’s larger strategy for winning a good contract for all members. We will discuss strategy with members in future Bargaining Committee meetings, but our meeting this week will focus on our proposal counters for mediation next week. Stay tuned for larger events and actions around the contract campaign later this summer.
As a reminder, our next mediation session will be Monday, July 22nd, 10am-1pm, and it will be hybrid. At 9:30 am, members can join GEO leadership in person or virtually to caucus in preparation for the mediation session. We will be meeting in person in the Lederle Graduate Research Center room A112 (first floor). This is the same room where several bargaining sessions were held. Stay tuned for the links to join us virtually, but we highly encourage everyone who can make it to campus to do so.
In solidarity,
GEO Leadership
| ADMIN’S OFFER | GEO’S PROPOSAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Wages/Stipend | Year 1 (2023): N/A Year 2 (2024): 10% increase to salaries and minima (approx $3.26/hr) effective September 2024 Year 3 (2025): 5% increase to salaries and minima, effective September 2025 Increases apply to CPE/WWW rates, effective September 2024 Minimum Salaries apply to ADRs, plus housing, effective September 2024 | Year 1 (2023-2024): 15% full retro-pay for all workers (including graduates) Year 2 (2024-2025): 5% Year 3 (2025-2026): 5% Minimum Salaries apply to ADRs, plus housing, effective September 2023 |
| Housing | Effective September 2024: Establish Housing Fund equal to $200/FTE/year (administration TBD), including covering the cost of third-party guarantor Housing Committee Annual presentation by Off-Campus Student Life to GEO members re: off-campus Housing resources | Monthly housing stipend (12 months, all members, all contracts) Year 1: $400/month Year 2: $450/month Year 3: $500/month |
| Food Security | N/A | Semesterly YCMP25 for all grad workers ($275.00 per semester) |
| Bus Transit | N/A | Zero summer fares for B43 routes |
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In solidarity, GEO Leadership
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