GEO, University settle on non-monetary issues

http://www.dailyillini.com/news/campus/article_0cd6c4c6-384d-11e2-b20d-0019bb30f31a.html

By Tyler Davis | Staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 12:00 am

At Monday afternoon’s bargaining session, the Graduate Employees’ Organization and the University agreed on all of the union’s nonmonetary concerns as negotiations on a new contract drag on.

The two groups, which have been butting heads since the GEO’s contract expired in August, came to agreements on sections of the contract concerning nursing mothers, bereavement leave, and visa and immigration leave, according to Ingbert Schmidt, a graduate student and member of the GEO’s bargaining team.

Tuition waivers, wages and health care are still on the table.

GEO spokeswoman Stephanie Seawell said that although GEO members were frustrated after Monday’s session, they anticipate a comprehensive proposal from the University at Tuesday morning’s session.

“That frustration will mount if there isn’t a significant proposal (Tuesday),” Seawell said.

The University remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached through mediation.

“The University remains confident that working together in good faith; we are confident an agreement can be reached,” campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler said in an email.

Schmidt said the GEO laid out a proposal that explicitly explained how tuition waivers could be changed through bargaining, providing both sides with equal control over the waivers.

“If they have sole discretion over how much of the tuition is waived, they can just pay us $100,000 but make tuition $200,000,” Schmidt said.

Health care is an issue that concerns GEO members, especially those with dependents.

Schmidt, who has a son he provides for, said a 35 percent increase in per-semester premium coverage would be a huge help for him.

The two groups have reached a tentative agreement on that rate, Schmidt said.

In the event of an unsuccessful mediation Tuesday, Seawell said a strike is still an option for the GEO, but members have been thinking of other ways to reach an agreement with the University without a strike.

The “Unity at the Union” work-in on Monday at the Illini Union was one of those efforts.

“We’ve had well over 100 people come in and out throughout the day,” she said. “People have held classes here, people have held meetings and reading groups and have (held) office hours here.”

Seawell also said a small group of GEO members plan to stay in the Union overnight, as it is “the center of campus community life at this University,” according to a news release.

“The Union closes at midnight,” Seawell said. “We aren’t going to leave.”

Tyler can be reached at tadavis2@dailyillini.com.

Some optimism in UI-GEO talks, but union camping in Union overnight

URBANA — With the threat of a strike looming, members of the Graduate Employees’ Organization expressed some optimism about the state of negotiations with the University of Illinois but at the same time said they wanted to send the message that they are committed to settling the contract, prompting many to pull an all-nighter at the Illini Union on Monday.

The Union closes at midnight, but several GEO members planned to stay there beyond the closing time. University police said they won’t force them out.

The “work-in” began on Monday morning with about 100 of the union’s members camping out in the Union’s Courtyard Cafe grading papers, meeting with students and reading. It continued through the afternoon with some graduate employees remaining and others attending the latest bargaining session with university administrators and a federal mediator.

The union is calling the decision to remain in the Union overnight a “symbolic act of civil disobedience.”

“We think we’re doing something extremely peaceful and fair,” said GEO member Zack Poppel. He alerted police about their intentions and didn’t anticipate any disruptions.

“We respect the right of people to express themselves. That’s what universities are all about,” said campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

“Unless they’re destroying property, we will not forcibly remove them,” said UI Police Sgt. William Smoot.

Smoot said he did not anticipate any problems. He planned to make sure a university police officer or two was in the building after hours in an “Officer Friendly-type of situation.”

GEO spokeswoman Stephanie Seawell said the decision to spend the night in the Union grew out of discussions members had at the work-in throughout the day Monday.

“It’s a symbolic place for the University of Illinois. I do think of the student union as a place where the campus comes together,” she said.

She said members wanted to send a message to the UI administration that they’re serious about coming to an agreement with the university on a new contract, but she and other members wanted to do something that would affect a handful of people as opposed to the thousands who would be affected if a strike were to occur.

That’s not to say a strike still couldn’t happen.

Last week GEO membership overwhelmingly approved a strike authorization vote following months of negotiations between the GEO and the university. The two sides have been bargaining since April and have yet to come to an agreement on the three issues critical to the union: wages, health care and tuition waivers.

On Monday the union presented its latest offer to the university. Administrators reportedly spent much of the bargaining session discussing the proposal among themselves. Union members said they were told to expect a response from the university on Tuesday morning. A bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday morning and a general membership meeting will be held that evening.

“We expect it will be significant movement on their part,” Seawell said. “If it’s not significant, [graduate employees] will be disappointed,” she said.

The union had originally proposed a 4 percent increase in wages for all employees, but recently reduced that to 3.25 percent. The union had also asked for health insurance to cover them during the summer months, but dropped that proposal. However, the union is still asking the university to cover 85 percent of their employee health insurance fee (the UI covers 75 percent currently) and they’re asking the university to cover 35 percent of the health insurance fees for dependents.

An estimated 10 percent of graduate employees have children, and for those who do, it’s costly to pay for health insurance for dependents in addition to themselves, said Ingbert Schmidt, a Ph.D. student in library science. He pays about $310 per semester for his health insurance and $625 for his son.

“Getting a higher percentage covered (by the UI) will help for those living on the margins. Every little bit helps. And getting any kind of help on the child’s premium is huge,” he said. None of the dependent care fee is covered by the UI now, he said.

Graduate employees also are seeking protection of their tuition waivers. The GEO went on strike over waivers in 2009. After that strike, the union won concessions in contract language that protected waivers for assistants in good academic standing who make proper progress toward graduation in their original program. But in 2010, waivers were reduced for some incoming graduate assistants.

The union filed a grievance, the case went to arbitration and the arbitrator ruled that the contract language protected tuition waivers for all members of the bargaining unit, not just those who were on campus when the contract was signed.

Earlier this month the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board upheld the arbitrator’s ruling and said the university must bargain in good faith and must reimburse students who lost tuition waivers.

A decision has not yet been made on whether the university will appeal the labor board’s ruling, according to Robin Kaler.

Kaler said the university was optimistic an agreement could be reached. At the same time, preparations are under way in case a strike is called.

“We certainly hope that people will continue to fulfil their obligations to their undergraduate students,” she said. “We talked with departments to make sure they’re prepared for whatever may happen,” she said.

The bargaining unit represents 2,400 graduate employees on the Urbana campus.