Over the past weeks, UIC administrators have used economic and political uncertainty as a pretext to centralize power, unilaterally implementing far-reaching changes to our working and learning conditions. From reducing appointments and increasing workloads to outright dissolving entire departments, it is clear that the administration’s so-called savings will be borne by graduate workers and faculty at the expense of the student experience and UIC’s institutional reputation. And now, UIC has begun freezing graduate admissions and seems poised to make further sweeping changes at the same time it demands to bargain with the Union.
This is only the latest episode in a pattern of bad faith bargaining against GEO over the past year, including repeated failures to return counter-offers and circumventing the union to distribute limited, discretionary raises to certain units. These policies have exacerbated divisions within the bargaining unit, intensified workloads, and cumulatively threaten a chilling effect on union activity.
GEO condemns UIC’s brazen and unlawful attacks on organized graduate labor. In order to re-establish trust in UIC’s ability to bargain in good faith, we expects administration to adhere to the following demands throughout upcoming contract bargaining:
- Resume graduate admissions. Freezing new graduate hires will intensify workloads for the existing graduate workforce and further worsen the instructor-student ratio, externalizing costs onto graduate workers and undergraduates.
- No bargaining unit erosion. GEO will not tolerate the replacement of our workforce with non-bargaining unit employees. We expect any assignments historically distributed to graduate assistants to remain graduate assistant work.
- Universalize cost-of-living adjustments: Any raises, bonus or retro pay, or other monetary compensation implemented during bargaining must be universally distributed across the entire bargaining unit.
- Nothing about us without us. New or modified policies affecting assistants’ terms and conditions of employment must first be bargained through the union. Members are prepared to document and contest unlawful unilateral changes in our working conditions.
- No retaliation or discrimination: Workers exercising their rights to free speech, academic freedom, or protected concerted activity – including campus protest and intellectual activism – will not face any form of retribution, including reduction in appointments; increases in workload or academic requirements; non-renewal of immigration authorization. UIC will not share assistants’ immigration status or political activity with law enforcement.
Adhering to these terms will ensure that both parties can begin bargaining on an even playing field. GEO’s membership is fully prepared to use all legal, institutional and organizational means to hold UIC accountable to respect these conditions.
Signed,
GEO Steering Committee
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