Chicago, IL - 300 graduate employees, faculty, students and campus workers rallied on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago today, April 5, to demand a contract for the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO). While the bargaining committee walked into the building to meet with management in federal mediation, the protesters chanted, “Who are we? GEO. Are we gonna back down? Hell, no!”
The GEO had been preparing for a strike for the past month. Today, they announced that their membership had called for an April 6 strike if mediation failed to produce an agreement. The membership vote passed with 84% support. As of 9:00 p.m., mediation was continuing.
Their sister local at the university’s campus in Urbana won an historic contract in November, guaranteeing tuition waivers, in addition to three years of raises and other advances. That victory came as the result of a two-day strike.
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