Fellow workers,
This is a message from your Bargaining Committee! Our current contract expires in August, so over the last several months we have been working to talk to as many GEO members as possible about what you want and need in a new contract. What follows is a list of some (but not all) of the issues we’ve identified as widespread within the bargaining unit, and which we intend to address through our upcoming contract negotiations. Regardless of how brilliant our arguments are at the negotiating table, the only real leverage we have as workers is in our willingness to organize in concrete actions for these demands. To that end, please fill out this short survey to let us know how you can participate in our bargaining actions and to share your thoughts on the points below.
In the next couple of weeks, we will submit our formal demand to bargain with the university. All bargaining sessions will be announced in advance to the membership and will be open for any and all members of GEO in good standing to attend. Over the summer we’ll be holding open drafting sessions, in person and remotely, to work through new language and figure out how best to respond to counters from management. We’ll also be hosting info sessions and other events so we can ramp up our contract campaign and exert pressure on the university in the fall—and into the spring, if necessary. If you’ve got an idea for an event or even just want to find out how to get more involved in planning and coordinating, just let us know!
In Solidarity,
GEO’s Bargaining Committee
OUR PRIORITIES (in no particular order):
COST OF LIVING/HOUSING: In the last round of contract negotiations, GEO accepted a 7.69% wage increase, the equivalent of 2.5% raises each year during the life of that contract. This was an improvement on the 6.6% that admin proposed; however, inflation has gone up 7% and rent in this area has gone up by at least 15% since then. This stands to increase even more. No one can afford to live here! And UMass Amherst is the biggest landlord in the area. They are driving this crisis, and profiting from it. Graduate student employees need a REAL raise—one that keeps up with the cost of living in Amherst and the Pioneer Valley.
Health and Welfare trust fund: this fund is essential to cover the cost of our dental and vision insurance, as well as wellness and childcare reimbursements. The fund generally sustains itself on contributions by the university, but the amount contributed per grad employee has not increased in over six years. We need to ensure that the health and welfare trust fund stays healthy!
International Students: In the last several years, support for international students at UMass Amherst (which was shaky to begin with) has eroded at UMass Amherst. We need to change that now. We’re proposing visa reimbursements modeled on the postdocs’ contract, as well as pushing for tax assistance such as was provided by UMass prior to the pandemic.
Fees: Last time we won a 50% waiver of the Graduate Service Fee. In our next contract, we’re sticking to our position: NO FEES FOR EMPLOYEES! We want a 100% service fee waiver, as well as a removal of the predatory Engineering Fee that many of our members have to pay.
Health Care Coverage: Currently, 95% of the premium for individuals is covered by the university, but because total costs have gone up, so has that 5% we pay. This is even more true of the family plan. We want premium freezes locked into our contract!
Stronger workplace protections for all graduate workers: 60% of grad workers who filled out GEO’s issues survey in February reported that they regularly work more than their contracted number of hours. Grad workers are also being harassed and discriminated against. We need stronger protections from these abuses. We also need to continue pushing UMass to stop spending so much money on a militarized, racist UMPD, and to invest their resources in its front-line workers—who kept this university afloat during the pandemic and continue to keep it running today!
Facilities: Many facilities where grads work are currently inaccessible or unsafe. This includes: ADA non-compliance, non-gender inclusive bathrooms, other hazardous working conditions, inaccessible parking, and cuts to PVTA services. We want contract language that puts the onus on the University to address these issues—and gives us real leverage to hold them accountable when they don’t.
Childcare improvements: GEO is joining with other on-campus unions to demand expanded childcare services at UMass’ Center for Early Education Care (CEEC) to help combat the critical childcare shortage in the Pioneer Valley. We NEED more affordable childcare than is currently available outside of UMass. We also deserve to have childcare that meets the unique needs of student and academic workers.
Student-Workers Are Employees: We work many of our most productive years here as grads, and we are taxed as workers, but our work is categorized such that it makes us ineligible for many benefits that non-student-workers get, like: social security contributions, eligibility for mortgages, retirement contributions, public service loan forgiveness. We deserve, and demand, recognition as the professionals we are!
Addressing all of these things requires research and feedback from you! Again, please fill out this short survey and share it with your fellow grads to let us know how you can participate in our bargaining actions.
