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Hands off our Healthcare!Rally Reportback
Graduate workers’ billing statements should finally reflect the correct amount, after nearly 100 GEO members from across campus rallied at the Quad Wednesday 9/10 to demand reinstatement of our Campuscare benefit. Chants of “UIC, you can’t hide! We will rise up, we will fight!” resounded across the lawn. The event was the latest escalation in…
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UIC: Hands off our Healthcare!
Graduate workers may have noticed a heftier healthcare fee than normal. What’s going on? In a blatant violation of established labor law, UIC unilaterally changed our working conditions by charging graduate workers the full fee. Our bargaining team pressed them for answers at the table on Monday. Admin’s rationale? An expired contract “has to mean…
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ICE Threatens Pivot to Sanctuary Cities
Following an attack on CBP personnel in New York City last week, ICE czar Tom Homan announced that Sanctuary cities would be the agency’s new priority. “We’re going to flood the zone,” he warned. But Sanctuary Cities have not been spared in the agency’s intensive raids across the country. Los Angeles, a sanctuary city with…
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Stewards’ Corner #1: Introducing Your Chief Steward
My name is Joe (he/him), and I’m a fifth-year PhD student in the history department. Though I lost a squeaker of an election for chief steward in the spring, the winner—my comrade, Charlie—needed to step down due to capacity issues, and the steering committee appointed me (in an interim capacity for now) on July 2.…
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Statement Against the War on Iran
GEO resolutely condemns the US government’s illegal act of war against Iran and its people. This latest attack is a clear escalation of the US government’s continual sponsorship of Israel’s genocide in Palestine and aggression against neighboring Middle Eastern nations. In addition to the resulting death and violence, this act endangers hundreds of UIC graduate…
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As Ice Cracks Down,Labor Stands Up
Credit: Vincent D Johnson for Block Club Chicago May 28th, 2025 In May, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller demanded that ICE increase its deportation efforts, hoping to raise the number of arrests to 3,000 per day and threatening to fire ICE agents responsible for the fewest arrests. Over the past few weeks,…
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SCOTUS Deals Devastating Ruling Against Gender Affirming Care
On June 18th, the United States Supreme Court issued a devastating ruling against trans people in the case of United States vs Skrmetti. Joining several other states, Tennessee passed SB1 into law in 2023, a bill which effectively bans gender-affirming medical treatments like hormone replacement therapy and hormone blockers for minors. In the Skrmetti case,…
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Grads Speak Out at Townhall
Grad workers gathered this past Monday, June 23rd for a townhall hosted by the Dean’s Office, meant to provide students a space for addressing questions and concerns. As expected, the outpouring of grievances was met largely with handwaving and noncommittal answers. When pressed about the possibility of ICE raids on campus, officials gave the same…
The Grind
