Urbana-Champaign: Graduate Employees Union Strike Heats Up

Source: Zbigniew Bzdak  Chicago Tribune

We share this report from David Johnson with our readers. This would be the time for these folks in education to link up with the teachers strike in West Virginia. RM

David Johnson

World Labor Hour Radio

104.5 FM ( www.wrfu.net )

Urbana- Champaign, IL.

I just arrived home from the University of Illinois Graduate Employees Union ( GEO ) strike rally in Urbana-Champaign IL.

They really know how to do a rally. Drums, horns, chanting, singing, and lots of great speakers.

I could hear them from over two blocks away as I approached.

This is day 2 of their strike and when I picketed with them yesterday, the university quad area where most of the buildings where classes are held, was empty of the usual large crowds of students going to and from classes. Only hundreds of chanting graduate students picketing in front of various buildings in groups of ten to fifteen and in excess of 50 in front of some buildings.

This strike is getting attention from all over the U.S. because of what is at stake. The outcome of this strike will set a precedent that will have repercussions not just for Graduate students across the U.S., but also for other public sector Unions at the University of Illinois and across the country as well as all Unions nationwide.

The main issue is tuition waivers. The U of I Admin. wants to have sole discretion as to who gets tuition waivers as opposed to being stipulated in the Union contract that requires it for ALL graduate students, as has been the case since the founding of the GEO Union in 2002. That is the big issue, but also a raise in pay to slightly above the federal minimum wage and more of their healthcare costs being paid by the University. Last year their health insurance increased by 25 %.

This strike may last longer than the 2009 strike that lasted only 2-days, since it appears that the U of I Admin is emboldened by both the Trump Admin in D.C., Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, and the upcoming Janus decision.

If the U of I gets their way and tuition waivers will no longer be specified in the Union contract, then the Union will eventually die. In effect an attempt at Union busting.

The Graduate Union members I spoke with are prepared for however long it takes because they realize that not only will this destroy their Union but it will also make the University unaffordable for most of them, who are primarily from Working class families.

If any of you individually and/or your Union Local  can donate to their strike fund please do so at ; http://www.uigeo.org/

As soon as you pull up the web page the donate button is in the right hand corner

Thanks in Solidarity

David Johnson

World Labor Hour Radio

104.5 FM ( www.wrfu.net )

Urbana- Champaign, IL.