PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 21, No. 16, March 21, 2002

UI administration agrees to meetings to discuss grad-student unionization

By Sharita Forrest, Assistant Editor
(217) 244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu

University administrators and representatives of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) have agreed to a series of meetings to discuss which, if any, graduate student assistants should be added to the potential bargaining unit defined by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.
University and GEO officials have agreed to meet at least weekly beginning March 29, with the goal of reaching agreement on the composition of a potential bargaining unit by April 28.

If an agreement is reached, officials from both parties will then submit a joint agreement to the Labor Board to certify the bargaining unit and hold an election to determine whether the members of the potential bargaining unit desire to be represented by the GEO.

The agreement came on the heels of a daylong sit-in staged by GEO members at the Swanlund Administration Building on March 13. Graduate student employees and supporters crowded into Swanlund at about 7:45 a.m. and prevented employees from entering the building to work. Approximately 15 employees were already in the building when the demonstration began. Those employees later evacuated the building, and GEO representatives blocked the doors.

Supporters staged a rally in front of the building with about 75 people at about 10 a.m. Supporters picketed on the sidewalk in front of Swanlund throughout the day while a few blocks away the UI Board of Trustees was holding its regular meeting in the Illini Union.

Provost Richard Herman and university counsel Steven Veazie entered the building about 3 p.m. to begin discussions with GEO representatives. After two meetings, Veazie presented GEO representatives with a handwritten proposal about 6:30 p.m. The groups reached an agreement about 2 hours later. GEO supporters voted unanimously to accept the agreement and left the building shortly thereafter.

"This is really what we’ve been looking for – good-faith negotiation with administration," said Dave Kamper, GEO communications officer.

According to the agreement, both sides hope there will be evidence of "substantial progress" toward composing a bargaining unit by April 15.

Although GEO members are optimistic that will happen, they are still retaining the option of taking further action if they are unsatisfied with progress made in the negotiations, Kamper said.