Go to their website for more information, how to apply or to take an eligibility questionaire.

We’ll have information on the changes and will be soliciting feedback, giving surveys and discussing the impacts of these policies on different populations of graduate students. We’ll also be discussing how to organize GEO around these issues and our next steps as a union.

Join us:
Tuesday, July 27 at 4:30 pm in the Campus Center room 803.  We’ll have coffee and snacks.

Tuesday, August 3 at 7 pm in the North Village Community Room

Harp owner and former GEO co-president, Harpo, generously donated his venue and labor for the parties.  The games brought together graduate employees from many different departments for the opportunity to watch soccer, win in a t-shirt raffle and get to know other grad students in town for the summer.

Thanks to Harpo again for his good food, great bar and support of GEO!

Check back regularly for other upcoming social events and meetings from the union this summer.

Coffee Cart for GEO members-Tuesday, July 6th

Find us outside the Marston Engineering Building next Tuesday for FREE coffee, donuts and croissants.  Come with questions or comments, or just for free breakfast.  10 am until supplies run out.

World Cup Soccer at the Harp – Wednesday, July 7th

Don’t miss the concluding games of the world’s most popular sporting event.
GEO is hosting ANOTHER World Cup party at The Harp in Amherst, MA on Wed. July 7th for members and their families. Join us for a hearty lunch provided by GEO and the Harp starting at 2pm, and stay for the game at 2:30.

Watch Argentina or Germany play either Paraguay or Spain.

The Harp is located at 163 Sunderland Road, Amherst MA, and directions are available on its website. Post-docs are welcome as well.

Thank you for keeping the campus community updated on the status of the budget and the financial plans of the University. I do appreciate this communication and the transparency it brings to the campus.

Speaking, however, as someone who is increasingly suspicious of the administration’s good will particularly as regarding GEO contracts, I did not appreciate the implied criticism of my union and of those union members who, like me, feel that the University’s position towards us can best be characterized as complete financial and social lack of respect. While I am certainly grateful for any further “supportive statements,” the fact remains that the most recent contract, still unfunded, not only fails to provide any raise for the first year, but provides raises that are less than inflation for the two following years, if I remember correctly. Since my household already qualifies for state aid for fuel costs because of our graduate student incomes, and both my housemate and I already work more than one job, making it more difficult for both of us to pursue our studies effectively and in a timely way, which in turn will affect our job prospects, the contract as initially negotiated is almost insulting, since all of my expenses do indeed keep up with inflation. To be accused on top of this of divisiveness and finger pointing for having ceased to believe that the University administration have my best interests at heart is a further insult.

I understand that we are in difficult financial times. Realistically, though, the graduate students at UMass have been in difficult financial times since before the latest nation-wide economic catastrophe, so I hope that if you find us less amenable than usual to having our raises taken from us, our insurance co-pays increased, and our fees constantly under negotiation, you will grant us some leeway. Given that we also teach a large percent of the credit hours on the UMass campus and that our research not only helps to contribute to UMass’s reputation as a research institution but even sometimes produces grants and funding for the University, perhaps you will even be able to pardon us our cynicism.

At least until we have a contract that gives us a wage that is compatible with the cost of living in this area, that lets us stop worrying about constant changes in our health insurance, child care, and student fees, and that shows, rather than tells, how much the university values our contributions to campus life, teaching, and research.

Best,
Anna Strowe
Ph.D. Candidate
Comparative Literature
GEO Member 2007-present

To read the text of the Chancellor’s message, click here. We welcome any comments or feedback at geo@external.umass.edu.

The Harp is located at 163 Sunderland Road, Amherst MA, and directions are available on its website.  Post-docs are welcome as well.

The GEO office will be closed Monday, June 28th for the party.  You can still reach us by phone, (413)545-0705 or email, geo@external.umass.edu.

First Coffee Cart is Monday, June 21 in the Lederle lobby. Look for us!

If you’d like the Coffee Cart to come to your lobby next time, send us an email at geo@external.umass.edu

In response to harsh administrative cutbacks, students at the University of Puerto Rico system have occupied their campuses for almost a month, making it the longest campus action of its kind in Puerto Rico’s history.  The university changes echo the austerity measures taken by the Puerto Rican government that have unjustly targeted the working class and sparked resistance from labor and student groups over the past year.

Many student and labor organizations have sent letters of support student and labor groups at the UPR, including the UMass-GEO Steering Committee.  We will also be collecting donations if you are interested in aiding the strike fund.

To : University of Puerto Rico Consejo de Estudiantes, The Asociación Puertorriqueña de Profesores Universitarios, La Hermandad de Empleados Exentos No Docentes

The Graduate Employee Organization at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, UAW 2322, offers its support and expresses its deep admiration for the struggle you are waging to protect public higher education.

We stand in solidarity with the students, workers, and allies and all the people of Puerto Rico, fighting for the future of their Commonwealth and the right to an education.

We stand with you in fighting to:

1. Repeal Certification 98 of the UPR Board of Trustees, which eliminates tuition exemptions, affecting thousands of students.

2. Stop budget cuts immediately. The administration must open its financial records to public scrutiny and begin an informed dialogue about new ideas that will not affect student services.

3. Stop summer term tuition hikes, and provide a diverse course offering available to all students.

We offer what modest support we can and pledge to do our part here in Massachusetts against the assaults on public higher education. Your leadership continues to inspire all of us. We look forward to your victory.

In solidarity,

GEO/UAW Members – Steering Committee

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Earnings of $3,629 over the Summer provide partial benefits of Fall and Spring, Basic and SHIP health fee exemption, in addition to the above benefits.

Summer earnings of $6,303 cover full (tuition/fee waiver and health fees exemption) benefits for Summer and Fall.

Summer earnings of $9,932 cover full (tuition/fee waiver and health fees exemption) benefits for Summer, Fall, and Spring.

Members receive one vacation day a month. To calculate your vacation time (in hours), multiply the total number of hours you will be working by 0.0473. For members working the full 14 week Summer session, this about 13 hours of vacation time for members working 20 hours a week and about6.5 hours for members working 10 hours a week.

Members a receive additional time off calculated by total number of hours worked times 0.061. For members working the full 14 week Summer session, this is 17 hours of additional time for members working 20 hours a week and 8.5 hours for members working 10 hours a week.

If you have any questions please call the GEO office at 413-545-0705.

Leadership:

Elvis Méndez - President

Sarah Hughes - Vice-president

David Wemhoener - Secretary/Treasurer

Staff:

Roberto Garcia-Ceballos – Diversity Coordinator

Xuefei Bai – Family Issues Advocate

Derek Doughty – Grievance Coordinator

Carlos Marentes – Organizing, Campaign and Membership Mobilization Coordinator

Nigel Brissett – International Student Coordinator

Danielle Allessio – IT/Database Coordinator

Kit Smemo – Summer Orientations Coordinator

Steering:

Dominique Cambou - Steward Representative

Jeremy Wolf- Steward Representative

Kelcy Adamec – At-large Representative

Anna Curtis – At-large Representative

Assembly of Stewards:

Maureen Gallagher – Co-chair

Daniel Armenti – Co-chair