Fellow Workers,
Below is the GEO newsletter for the week of April 1st, which contains important information regarding our next bargaining session, stewards’ social, and other upcoming GEO events!
GEO BARGAINING SESSION: Tuesday, April 2 from 1-3pm, LGRC A112 (with zoom option)
All GEO members in good standing are welcome, and the more grad workers who attend, the more we show admin that we are united in fighting for stronger protections, better working conditions, and the living wage that we deserve!
GEO HOUSING SURVEY
This survey is being conducted by GEO to collect data on what UMass Amherst Graduate students are paying in rent. Our objective is to understand how the cost of housing has changed over the past several years for our members. There will be sections for multiple years, this is to show not only how unsustainable living in the area is now, but how this has been a problem years in the making, with housing prices skyrocketing. In order to be thorough, information such as annual rent cost, gross income, and number of roommates will be collected. This survey is entirely anonymous. If you have any questions about the survey, feel free to reach out to umasscola.
SUPPORT POSTDOCS IN THEIR FIGHT FOR A FAIR CONTRACT!
Our fellow workers and union siblings in Postdoctoral Researchers Organizing (PRO-UAW2322) are in the middle of negotiating a new contract with the university. They are asking everyone to sign on to a petition in support of a fair contract that includes wage increases, increased parental leave, funds for professional development, guaranteed workspaces for postdocs, and more! Read the petition and sign here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/umass-postdocs-deserve-a-fair-contract
BUILDING BRIDGES SHOWCASING EVENT: Tuesday, April 2 from 12-7pm, Fine Arts Center Atrium
The Building Bridges Showcasing Event is a beautiful exhibition of worker art by frontline workers on campus. It will include powerful displays by immigrant workers on campus, and compelling participatory art installations that hundreds of people on campus have contributed to so far (addressing the question : how can I personally build bridges across difference). The event schedule includes two receptions, at 12noon and 4:30pm, Workshops and demonstrations from 12-3:30pm, Music and performances from 3:30pm-7:00pm. Let’s celebrate frontline workers on campus. Let’s come together to build bridges across difference.
SIGN UP TO BE A PART OF THE CONTRACT ACTION TEAM
GEO’s Contract Action Team (aka CAT) is a team of organizers working on building up our collective power! We are currently working to recruit at least one CAT member for every ten graduate workers in our bargaining unit.
Becoming a CAT member is a low-stakes effort to get involved in the union! If you can dedicate 1-2 hours per week to talking with graduate student workers about GEO, contact Anna at abonomo OR come to CAT meetings on Wednesdays at noon in Campus Center 915. Sign up to be a CAT member here.
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)
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
CONTRACT ACTION TEAM
The Contract Action Team (otherwise known as CAT
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 shane
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT 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). Contact the international student caucus at alanacaucus557!
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!
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
