FALL 2016 KICK OFF MEETING

Please join us for the first general meeting of Fall 2016 at Gallery 400 (400 S. Peoria) Wed. Oct. 26th

Food and refreshments at 11:45

Meeting at 12:00

Agenda highlights:

Budget/Dues Increase Vote

Know Your Rights and Contract Review

GEO Goals Discussion

This past spring, we won a hard fought contract campaign to get the largest pay increases we have had in any contract, along with increases to health insurance and leave benefits and important improvements in our nondiscrimination clause. These recent successes just remind us of what we already know: we are stronger together. We are going to keep working to protect our rights, improve our working conditions, and strive to build a more just community at UIC and beyond.

Our first General Membership Meeting this fall will be held on Wednesday, October 26 from 12 to 1:30 pm in the lecture hall of Gallery 400 (400 S. Peoria). We will have a Know Your Rights discussion so we all become more familiar with our contract and our rights in the workplace. We will also have committee and council chairs describe the different ways to get more involved. We are planning to cap off the meeting with a group discussion about important issues we are facing in our jobs, so we can set out priorities and projects for our union.

Importantly, at this meeting we will have a discussion and vote on our budget for 2016-17 and a proposal for a dues increase. In order to continue to build our strength and wage successful contract campaigns, we need to ensure the financial stability of our union. We have not voted to raise our dues since 2010, but our expenses have increased over the years, in part due to increases in the dues we send to our state and national affiliate unions, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). After reviewing budget projections, the Steering Committee is proposing to increase the dues rate from 2.25% to 2.4%. This will amount to an increase of only $2.91 a month for those of us with 50% appointments at the current minimum. We believe this increase is necessary to make sure we have the resources available to continue our work and to confront any challenges in the years ahead.

Our union is what we make of it – our successes are the result of the committed efforts of all of us as members. And we know we are better off fighting for our rights together, rather than struggling alone.