2009 GEO Strike Anniversary
As we head into bargaining season in Spring, let’s take a look at an important moment in GEO bargaining history!
On November 16-17, 16 years ago, GEO members went on a two-day strike, ultimately securing a “win” for members that set a precedent for future negotiations and contracts.
In November of 2009, after almost 7 months of negotiations, the University was willing to protect tuition waivers only for graduate workers with in-state student status, who represented a minority of GEO members. In response, on November 16, 2009, GEO members went on strike. GEO demanded that tuition waivers for all Graduate Assistants (GAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs) be guaranteed and not reduced. Four buildings on the Main Quad were chosen for picket lines, and more than 1,000 GEO members turned out to march, drum, and chant despite rainy weather. During the strike, GEO workers suspended all teaching related duties. The strike, picketing, and support from faculty that refused to cross the picket lines, resulted in hundreds of classes being shut down. At the end of the first day of striking, GEO member Rich Potter said to the crowd of picketers,
“it will never be business as usual at the University of Illinois until our tuition waivers are guaranteed.”
On the second day of the strike, November 17, GEO and University bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement.
On November 18, GEO members voted to suspend the strike. About 450 GEO members out of 2,600 voted to accept the tentative agreement, and the three-year contract became effective retroactively starting August 2009. While GEO had to make some concessions in the final agreement, they were pleased with the outcome overall. GEO succeeded in securing guaranteed tuition waivers for all GAs and TAs, increased minimum wage for TAs and GAs, increased health insurance fee subsidies, and an additional two weeks of unpaid parental leave. After the strike, GEO members met with members of the Undergraduate-Graduate Alliance to discuss the strike, its results, and how strikes can be conducted better in the future.
At the time of the strike, about 23% of undergraduate classroom hours were taught by graduate workers. The University administration continues to rely heavily on graduate TAs. Today, 20.6% of undergraduate classroom hours and 15% of graduate classroom hours are taught by graduate workers (Division of Management Information).
It is crucial that we keep in mind - striking is always the last resort as it comes at high costs for both sides, and we should never aim at striking. In 2009, GEO exhausted all other options but a strike and was forced to resort to it when the admin refused to guarantee essential tuition waivers for most. Going on strike is never without risk, and during the 2009 strike, several international students reported threats of deportation and feelings of fear. During our upcoming bargaining season, we must remember to remain strong in solidarity and fight for the rights of all graduate workers.
References
Cambell, P. (2009, November 18). University of Illinois Caves After Two-Day Grad Strike. Labor Notes. https://www.labornotes.org/2009/11/university-illinois-caves-after-two-day-grad-strike
GEO committee suspends strike. (2009, November 18). The Daily Illini. https://dailyillini.com/news-stories/2009/11/18/geo-committee-suspends-strike/
resistero. (2009, November 16). Overview of GEO Strike [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kmDPXJwEGA