Posts tagged Graduate Employees’ Organization
U-M threatened pro-Palestinian students, union alleges
June 19, 2025 // On April 21, 2024, the Graduate Employees’ Organization filed a class action grievance against U-M. It accused then-President Santa Ono of “threatening students” by stating that U-M “will not shy away from protecting the values we hold dear. Those who participate in disruptive activity will be held accountable.” The GEO criticized the U-M administration for having “contributed to a climate of hostility, harassment, and repression on Palestine-related issues for members of the bargaining unit.” More than 100 undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, alumni, and others signed the document with redacted names. CapCon obtained the documents through a records request. The student union demanded that the university tell all staff members in written communication that there is an ongoing genocide in Palestine. It also said the university must acknowledge the right of graduate student instructors to engage in pro-Palestine speech in the classroom. The university, it added, needed to ”recognize that pro-Palestine speech is legitimate."
Bernie Sanders offers his support to striking University of Michigan graduate instructors
April 21, 2023 // A judge, acting on behalf of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, ruled April 18 that the union should end the strike after it violated the current agreement’s no-strike clause. The union plans to continue striking and appeal the judge’s decision, said union secretary Karthik Ganapathy. The university wants to resolve the matters at the bargaining table, said university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald. “While the university has worked diligently to ensure that the negative impact felt by students is minimized, it is in the best interest of the entire campus community, especially our undergraduate students, for GEO to stop its strike and return to the classroom,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.
Judge says UM grad workers union committed unfair labor practice; union to appeal
April 19, 2023 // The judge said the Graduate Employees’ Organization violated the no-strike clause of its current contract, which expires May 1. GEO members have been on strike since March 29. But the decision is not final. It serves as a recommendation to the full Michigan Employment Relations Commission. University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald said the strike has left students’ exams and final grades in jeopardy. “While the university has worked diligently to ensure that the negative impact felt by students is minimized, it is in the best interest of the entire campus community, especially our undergraduate students, for GEO to stop its strike and return to the classroom,” he said.
Opinion: America is on strike. Here’s what it means
April 18, 2023 // Let the protests in France be our warning of what happens when elite indifference goes too far. French President Emmanuel Macron drove a widely unpopular pension reform bill through Parliament without a vote, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. Discussing the controversial measure in an interview, Macron placed his hands under the table to remove the luxury watch he was wearing, further widening the chasm between himself and the working class. He bypassed the legislative body meant to represent his people. Now his people are lighting buildings on fire. If we want to avoid suffering the same fate as France, our political and financial leaders cannot behave with the same pomposity. Vulgar displays of riches spread quickly on social media. The only thing that spreads quicker is the backlash. This dangerous dichotomy combined with a larger wealth gap than at any other point in modern U.S. history seriously raises the risk of unrest.
Spurred on by SWC-UAW contract, student workers nationwide pursue greater workplace protections
February 26, 2022 // The union's victories have spurred student-worker unions across the nation to fight for similar goals