SOLIDARITY LETTER IN SUPPORT OF UC GRADUATE EMPLOYEES

President Janet Napolitano

University of California

Office of the President

1111 Franklin Street

Oakland, CA 94607

April 7, 2014

Dear President Napolitano,

The University of Illinois at Chicago Graduate Employees Organization (UIC GEO) is writing on behalf of its 1500 members to demand that you end the continuous Unfair Labor Practices against the workers of United Auto Workers Local 2865 and respect their collective bargaining agreement.

It is our understanding that the UC administration has been unwilling to bargain over key aspects of members’ employment, including class size and the number of terms (quarters, semesters) employees are able to work. These are such basic issues of working conditions and require zero monetary concerns for the university, so we do not see any insurmountable hurdles to overcome for including these in the contract. Ultimately, it is your role as an employer to provide job and economic security for your employees, and you can provide that by ending the illegal intimidation against graduate workers, and negotiate issues such as class size and the number of terms of employment. These workers are an integral part of the university’s function and deserve your respect both in the process of negotiations and their working conditions.

Everyone involved shares an interest in the quality of education and employment in the UC system, and you have the power to demonstrate that you value the contributing members of your institution by prioritizing their needs at these basic levels by providing them with fair working conditions at your institution.

On behalf of UIC GEO, we strongly urge you to return to the bargaining table and take the necessary steps to negotiate a fair contract.

In Solidarity,

The Members of UIC Graduate Employees Organization