Fellow members,

First of all, check out this 4-minute Bargaining Video Update and make sure to share it widely so all graduate workers are aware that negotiations have kicked off and what’s on the table.

Sign-up here to attend the next bargaining session (Monday, August 28th, 1pm-4pm)

Join us in our weekly Bargaining Committee meeting tomorrow, Wednesday August 16 from 10-12 pm over Zoom. Here is the link to join; we hope to see you there!

Want to get more involved in the nitty-gritty process of negotiations? Want to learn more but can’t come to our standing Wednesday meeting? You can support bargaining efforts by joining one (or several!) of these bargaining research groups:

• Disability/accessibility caucus: This working group will do research about the many issues faced by students with accessibility needs that UMass refuses to address which prevents UMass from becoming a safe working and learning environment. In particular, this group will look into the proposed changes regarding reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Point: Thomas & Kaleb tmorrison / kkarolak

• Oppositional Research: This working group will do research about the members of GEO’s opposition: the admin’s bargaining committee and UMass leadership who are "fine with the contract as-is." Point: Terrell James tljames

• Finances Research: This working group will conduct research related to UMass’s financial holdings–how rich is UMass and where does all that money go when they tell us they can’t afford to pay us fair wages? Point: Shady shady

• Harassment/Discrimination Research: This working group will do research around changes to the sexual harassment (18) and harassment (19) articles, strengthening protections for workers by expanding the definitions and giving workers the right to request alternative assignment – issues related to several ongoing grievance cases that the union has filed against the university. Point: Chris chris

• MA/MS Appointment/Reappointment Research: This working group will do research on the discrimination that Masters students face in the appointment and reappointment process. For example: several departments do not allow their MAs to apply for GEO funded positions in order to maintain MA students as a source of department funding. What other ways are MA students short-shrifted by discriminatory rules for funded opportunities at UMass? Point: Jessica Scott and Niharika Pola pniharika / jessica

• Cost of Living Research: This working group will research the current cost of living faced by graduate students living in Pioneer Valley in support of GEO’s position that graduate workers need a significant raise to make a UMass education possible. Point: Chase chase

• Workload Working Group: This working group will focus on research and mobilization related to the proposed changes to workload. In particular, this group will conduct research on costing out the TO 20-hour minimum proposal as well as working with various departments where folks are contracted to teach a 3 credit course for less than 20 hours per week (e.g., the writing program, studio arts MFA, anthropology). Point: Alejandro from English dept (steward) and Danielle B. abeasmurillo / danielle

These important groups will support our arguments at the bargaining table — connect with the respective point people to join our efforts today!

If you have any other questions feel free to reach out to us at the email addresses below.

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee, bargaining

Danielle Bradley, MFA Candidate for Poets and Writers, danielle
Jessica Antonia Casillas Scott, PhD Student in History, jessica
Andre Kenneth Chase Randall, PhD Student in Computer Sciences, chase
Chris Claypool, PhD Candidate in Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, chris
Brenda Quintana, Masters Student in Labor Studies, brenda
Kaleb Karolak, PhD Student in Economics, kkarolak
Shady Lawendy, PhD Student in Economics, shady