Fellow workers,
On Tuesday, 3/15, GEO held our general membership meeting for the month of March. Although it took place over spring break, turnout was excellent! Nearly 70 people attended the meeting and we had a wide-ranging discussion of the many issues we’re dealing with right now, from successor bargaining to the disastrous COVID policies at UMass. The enthusiasm was palpable, and your solidarity was (and is) contagious! If you weren’t able to make it, read this email for a quick report-back and for an answer to the all-important question—how can I get involved at this crucial moment?
VACANCY ELECTION RESULTS
GEO members voted on Tuesday to fill a (paid) vacancy on our Bargaining Committee. The candidates all read statements detailing their visions for a robust and assertive campaign to win our next contract. The election was EXTREMELY close, which speaks to the overall caliber of the candidates and testifies to the strength of GEO’s longstanding democratic processes. With elections like these, nobody could truly lose. The vote tallies are as follows:
Kasia Karolak: 25
Kevin Sun: 21
Smriti Dhital: 16
Congratulations to Kasia on your election! And thank you to everyone for participating in your union’s democracy—whether you ran for a position or cast your vote, your voice and your contribution is everything. Without you GEO would not be the organization it is today.
COVID CONVERSATION
We had a lively interactive discussion about the sudden decision to drop the mask mandate at UMass. The takeaway was clear—GEO members, and union members in other units across campus, deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Management’s lack of accountability and refusal to take health and safety measures seriously negatively impacts our work and puts the most vulnerable members of our community in jeopardy. We went over GEO’s position on the dropped mask mandate and affirmed that we as grad workers are the ones who truly know what makes a workplace safe. And while we encourage everyone to apply for accommodations in keeping with the university’s policy, we will aggressively support anyone who feels they must move their classes to a remote format while they wait for an accommodation to be processed by Disability Services.
UMass Unions United has formed a Multi-Union Health and Safety Committee that meets Friday mornings from 9-10am over Zoom. If you’re interested in attending these meetings, send an email to geo and we’ll send you the calendar invite.
BARGAINING: NEXT SESSION 3/24
The bargaining team updated the membership on the state of negotiations and issued a call to action. We’ve lined the halls outside the bargaining room the last several sessions, and management is clearly feeling the pressure But now it’s time to TURN UP THE HEAT! We want to bring as many GEO members as possible to the next bargaining session, which will take place on Thursday, 3/24 from 1-3 pm. Come to the GEO office in Campus Center 917 around noon; bring a friend, grab a button, make a sign, and get ready for the session with your fellow workers.
Ultimately you, the graduate workers who keep UMass afloat, are this union. Contract negotiations are in YOUR hands. When we stand together and take collective action, we show the administration we know what’s up: UMass only works because we do.
If you’re interested in attending or want to get more involved with the bargaining process, write to the Bargaining Committee an email at bargaining.
See you all next Thursday at the bargaining table. Solidarity always!
