GEO Statement on Election Results

To all graduate workers at UIC, we are with you. The election results spell safety concerns, unstable laws, and an unreliable government. We, like you, have our fears. Nothing may stay untouched by Donald Trump’s presidency: labor rights, abortion access, asylum and immigration, trans rights, Black lives, and Palestinian lives, and many others. If Trump’s previous term is any indication, we can expect a renewed assault against workers’ rights – including graduate workers’ rights to organize. Research predicts his promised economic “reforms” of lopsided tax adjustments and import tariffs will only raise living costs for the poor and working class. In times like these, it is crucial that we stick together and recommit to our ongoing fights for decent living conditions, legal protections, and social justice for all.

GEO recognizes that upcoming political changes in the country will make this work harder. We are under no illusion that Donald Trump’s presidency will uphold any of the false promises made to the working class. No matter. We will stand up and fight back.

GEO reaffirms our commitment to continue standing for a free Palestine, advocating divestment from genocide, and supporting Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students. We will continue fighting tooth and nail to defend the safety and wellbeing of our trans and undocumented members while advancing the need for reproductive healthcare for all. We will keep each other safe.

We will stand up for each other. As the far right rises across the globe, the surest path to a secure and equitable future is by building a powerful labor movement that practices solidarity through struggle. Our committees, including the full contract bargaining committee, are actively considering ways to better enshrine and protect the rights of our members and our community in the 2025 contract. Let’s gather hope from organizing, mutual aid, and commitment to making each other as safe as possible.

If you need support, whether it be community or finding specific resources, reach out to steering@uicgeo.org. Check out and bookmark useful resource collections from around the internet below:

A collection of support resources for marginalized people | DIY HRT information | Immigrant and refugee/asylee rights | ACLU guide on how to fight and resist project 2025 | Uplifting Post Election Community Spaces and Resources for AA, NHPI, and MENA Communities