Candidate Statements: GEO Elections Spring 2021

SHARANYA SRIDHAR, Co-Chair (The Graduate Power Slate)

Dear Graduate Workers,  

I am Sharanya Sridhar (she/her/hers), your fellow GEO member and an international graduate student in the English department. I am running to serve as your Co-Chair for the upcoming year (2021-2022). Like many of you, I have experienced the disruptive effects of overwork caused by the Umass Amherst administration during the COVID 19 pandemic. Thanks to GEO, I have also witnessed the transformative power of collective action under these adversarial circumstances. I am running for Co-Chair because I believe together we can continue to stand up to an administration which exploits our labor and promotes unfair wages. Together we can demand fair pay and end overwork. I’m delighted to be part of the graduate power slate alongside Bilgesu Sümer, Stephanie Higgins, Tom Corcoran, Amanda Suzzi, Nicole Daphnis, and Ben Nolan.

I have been an active member of GEO since I arrived at UMass in Fall 2016. I served as a steward for the English department in 2018; the following year I was elected co-chair for the English Graduate Organization (EGO). During this time, I collaborated with my colleagues to initiate conversations about labour justice and advocate for graduate student well-being. In Spring 2018, with the support of GEO leadership and my co-steward, I helped mobilize graduate workers to oppose administration’s efforts to make unilateral changes to our working conditions. We successfully prevented management from demeaning and devaluing international student workers in our department. A large portion of the English department’s international student-body comprises women of color and this collective action created a space of solidarity that continues to foster fruitful collaborations.

As the above example shows, I am attentive to the problems our graduate workers face in the contexts of racism, misogyny, ableism, and other forms of discrimination. As a brown, South Asian woman, I navigate these problems everyday. Within my department, I have organized alongside workers of color and allies to create accountability mechanisms for anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practices. In Fall 2018,  my colleagues and I started a petition to condemn the administration’s harmful surveillance practices. More than fifty percent of our department’s graduate workers and some staff came together in asserting that students should not be surveilled and criminalized for wanting to use a community space. These experiences empower me as I continue to organize on behalf of grad workers across our campus.

As Co-Chair, I am prepared to advocate for your needs as we all navigate the difficult terrain of transitioning to in person activities in the fall. My priorities for the upcoming year include:

I affirm that overwork is a wage issue as well as a health and safety issue. Vote for me and the Graduate Power Slate to end overwork and secure our wellbeing. Cast your votes from May 3rd to 7th 2021. Thank you for considering my candidacy. 

BILGESU SÜMER, Co-chair [Graduate Power Slate]

Dear UMass Amherst grad worker, 

My name is Bilgesu, and I am an international student. I would like to begin by acknowledging that we stand on the Nonotuck land as UMass Amherst and the current US policy indigenous peoples in the Americas constitutes past and ongoing genocidal violence. 

I’m running for the GEO co-chair position as part of the Graduate Power slate. My running mates are Sharanya, Tom and Stephanie as officers, and Ben, Nicole and Amanda as bargaining committee members. I have worked with them in the past two years while serving as the GEO membership organizer. I believe we will make a great team. Our main goal is to finalize the successor contract bargaining. Because it is time for a raise! 

I want to continue serving my community in my last year as the co-chair because I will graduate from my PhD in political science next year. Protecting grad workers is protecting the university, which we must make sure our employers understand too. Our members understand this necessity quite well. As GEO we are more diverse than the United Nations itself. We are more progressive in our political visions than the faculty and staff unions. We raise our voices on the issues of climate, environmental and racial justice. We think health care is a human right and everyone deserves a living wage and dignified housing. While we do not have the power to achieve all of these universal goals, we do have a degree of power to maintain a strong and enforceable contract with our employers. This way, our organization protects us as graduate workers without whose work the university cannot function. The simple truth is that UMass works because we do. I want to continue to make sure that we care for each other by reaching enforceable settlements with our employers, which not only improve our working conditions, but also protect us from harm in workplaces and raise awareness in our communities for making the world a better place.  

We deserve more wages! The wages we get are not the reflection of value and work we give to the university, but a calculation by our employers who want to use our labor for profit. From a moral standpoint, a university should not be a place of profit. But under the current model of profit, we end up facing unwarranted situations and unneeded conflicts in our workplaces. Our organization makes sure that social inequalities do not prevent our members’ ability to successfully complete their degrees and worse, to lose their jobs. At the end of the day, our research is our labor! Our learning is labor! We deserve fair wages for our labor. 

I am asking for you to vote for everyone in my slate, myself included. I look forward to seeing your faces in our membership meetings next year.  

In solidarity,

Bilgesu Sümer (Pronouns: He/him)

TOM CORCORAN, Membership Organizer [Graduate Power Slate]

UMass Grad Worker,

My name is Tom Corcoran, a graduate student in the department of sociology. I am running for GEO membership organizer in this year’s election because I believe in the principles of union democracy and the power organized labor holds to better workplace conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised new challenges for the entire UMass system, while posing serious concerns for graduate student health, safety, and wellbeing. In a time of great uncertainty, members need union leadership committed to the protection of their rights as graduate student workers and to ensure their professional growth and development at our public university. Together with Sharanya Sridhar, Bilgesu Sümer, Stephanie Higgins, Amanda Suzzi, Nicole Daphnis, and Ben Nolan, I will work tirelessly to organize membership across campus departments as we improve working conditions and maintain an enforceable contract with our employers.

Since my arrival at UMass in the fall of 2015, I have maintained a spirited commitment to union membership with GEO, as well as dedication to the needs and well-being of fellow grad student-workers. During the 2016-2017 academic year I served as a GEO steward in the department of sociology. Throughout this period, I worked to maintain close communication with graduate students in the department, encouraging regular attendance at general membership meetings, support for collective actions, and active participation in union positions. Last spring, I filled an unoccupied steward’s role in sociology to assist in the planning and execution of a campus-wide action to obtain vacation pay for grad workers, helping to organize students in our department. In addition to campus organizing drives, I regularly attend area labor council and union meetings in the Valley, where I have established relationships with union organizers and leaders to build coalitional power. As membership organizer, I will bring this experience to support the needs of GEO members while helping to build an active membership base.

These previous experiences have provided me with invaluable knowledge to put organizing strategies into practice. I understand how to engage our diverse membership and I am aware of the issues and barriers to organizing that exists within and across departments. This work entails a careful balance of building trust, while empathizing with a member’s situation. I assure you, the membership, that my past experiences have prepared me to lead GEO’s future organizing initiatives.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the organization of the workplace and higher education, I recognize the vast range of issues affecting our grad student-worker community. We are faced with risks to our health and safety on campus, outrageous fees for grad employees, the defunding of our departments, overwork and unpaid labor. Organizing requires knowledge of all issues important to members and listening to your concerns helps to build our collective power. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my statement. I ask you to vote for the Grad Power Slate in this election.

In solidarity,

Tom (he/him/his)

DAVID PRITCHARD, Bargaining Research and Proposal Coordinator

Hey! My name is David Pritchard. I’m currently a PhD candidate in the English
department, and I’ve been a proud GEO member for many years. In the past I’ve served
as a steward and as a volunteer for the Bylaws Committee. Most recently I’ve worked as
a volunteer co-chair of GEO’s Organizing Committee. In this capacity I’ve worked
closely with the current Bargaining Committee through several rounds of impact
bargaining. I’ve nominated myself for the position of Research and Proposal
Coordinator, and I would be honored if you voted for me.

I am very excited to fight for wage increases, expanded childcare funding, and the
elimination of excessive student fees for grad workers (because who ever heard of
someone paying their boss just so they could work?). On top of that, I want to push for
guaranteed funding for all graduate workers, in the form of summer funding or even a
12-month contract. I think the language surrounding our workload can be tightened to
protect us from overwork—including the overwork we already do during the summer or
in long nights in the labs. I am committed, finally, to demanding that the university
defund the UMass Police Department, which has a budget that greatly exceeds what is
spent on health and wellness (not to mention, again, childcare, which has always been
a major issue for grad workers, and has been revealed as such during the COVID-19
pandemic—we can make so much more noise about this in and out of bargaining!).

Our contract is a collectively-authored document: every sentence is there because of
the tireless efforts of GEO’s rank and file. I am eager to make sure that the proposals
we draft and present at the bargaining table are closely aligned with what members
need and want. To make this happen I want to find ways to increase the transparency
and accessibility of bargaining; in particular, I would like to expand the avenues for
communication with members beyond email updates. For instance, at the beginning of
the Spring semester the current bargaining team used a few brief videos to report back
about bargaining sessions and invite feedback from members on changes to proposal
language. I’d love to bring back these video updates, even make them a regular part of
the way that the staff engages with rank and file. This is just one idea; I also want to find
ways to increase the means at members’ disposal for providing feedback, in order to
engage as many grad workers as possible—especially those who feel like they’ve been
out of the loop during the pandemic.

Ultimately I believe the union is its members, so I want to hear from you: What do you
want? What do you need? What are you willing to fight for?

NICOLE DAPHNIS, Bargaining Research and Proposal Coordinator [Graduate Power Slate]

Fellow workers,
My name is Nicole Daphnis and I am a PhD student in political science running for the Bargaining Research & Proposal Coordinator position. I have been passionate about GEO since arriving at UMass, serving as a steward from 2018-2020 and attending numerous bargaining sessions over the past year. As a steward, I advocated for greater transparency in appointment and reappointment procedures (Article 23), as well as organized and testified at grievance proceedings regarding the surveillance of graduate workers (Article 19). In Fall 2018 I helped organize an anti-racism protest led by GEO. These experiences have provided me with a nuanced understanding of our contract and how the University operates to try and subvert our rights. I am excited to be running as part of the Graduate Power Slate with Sharanya, Bilgesu, Stephanie, Tom, Ben, and Amanda.

If elected, I will dedicate myself to ensuring that our contract expands the collective power of our union, improves the material conditions of graduate workers, and holds the University accountable. Despite the money spent on PR campaigns, the stark reality is that hate has a home at UMass, and our union should work towards building structures of community for graduate workers of color, international students, women, and LGBTQ+ graduate workers.

Issues of particular concern to me include:

1. Eliminating fees for graduate employees. In what other work setting do you have to pay fees to your employers? This is unconscionable, especially considering the amount of fees we pay in proportion to our wages.
2. Cost of living and wages. It is well known that there is a housing bubble in the Pioneer Valley, and UMass is implicated in this phenomenon. It is increasingly difficult to afford a decent quality of living in the area, and these dynamics often play out along racial lines. Therefore, our wages should reflect the cost of living in the area.
3. Health, wellbeing (not just on Wednesdays), and overwork. As a graduate worker with chronic health conditions, I have been disgusted by the University’s lack of regard for the basic wellbeing for graduate workers throughout my time here and especially during the pandemic. I see this on two dimensions:
   1. The current structure of graduate work promotes a toxic culture of workaholism. We are not just told to work relentlessly throughout the semester, it is the unspoken norm. This is unsustainable and a detriment to the health of all graduate workers. The current contract language regarding overwork (Article 22) is mostly abstract, and I would like to implement concrete measures to prevent situations of overwork.
   2. I am passionate about strengthening Article 30 (Health & Safety). As it stands, it is difficult for graduate workers to experience illness without facing immediate precarity and the possibility of losing one’s funding. This is a profound injustice.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. Please reach out to me if you have questions: nicole.daphnis@gmail.com. Check out our Facebook and YouTube pages to learn more about our slate’s shared vision!

In solidarity,

Nicole Daphnis, She/Her

STEPHANIE HIGGINS, Mobilization Coordinator [Graduate Power Slate]

Re-Elect Stephanie Higgins for Mobilization Coordinator.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and vote in this election! I’m proud to be a member of a union that lives up to democratic values. Our members need union leadership that they can trust to be transparent and accountable. As mobilization coordinator, I will continue to work with GEO staff and member-leaders to find creative ways to spread clear, timely information and strive to make our union spaces open and accessible.

The pandemic has made it harder for members to connect. As mobilization coordinator, I’ll continue to support the development of rank-and-file leadership member-to-member — online, by video, and over the phone. The members are the union. When we act together, centering the demands of marginalized students, we can ensure safe, dignified working conditions and the fair pay and benefits we need to sustain ourselves and our communities.

To organize effectively, we must keep union databases and meetings orderly. We owe it to our fellow members to make critical information easily available and understandable. As a dependable notetaker, I take complete and accurate minutes and structure them clearly. I am a skilled facilitator, with years of experience writing agendas and creating environments for critical, curious, and action-oriented engagement. As part of the Finance Committee, I’m prepared to maintain a structured and productive process toward finalizing the GEO operating budget. I will work with the Finance Committee to address financial concerns with respect and diligence. My goal as mobilization coordinator will be to take care of day-to-day database management and support meeting structures so that union members can work and organize with confidence.

The pandemic has created new issues and compounded existing struggles for GEO members. I’m committed to working for job security by organizing for increases in departmental funding; for workplace safety through an accessible process for remote and overall work accommodations; for a cost-of-living adjustment in raises; for the cancellation of fees for graduate employees; for an end to unpaid labor and overwork, and supports for graduate students to create a work-life balance that allows time for academic pursuits, joy and rest.

I believe in collective power. I joined GEO as a graduate student-worker in the Labor Studies department and years before then, I was organizing undergraduates in solidarity with GEO. Our contract is strong because of unity and solidarity put into action by UMass graduate student-workers, and it will only get stronger as we grow our membership and build power for successor bargaining. We know UMass works because we do. Through collective action, we can make sure administrators don’t forget it.

I am running on the Grad Power Slate alongside Tom Corcoran, Bilgesu Sümer, Sharanya Sridhar, Ben Nolan, Amanda Suzzi, and Nicole Daphnis. For more on our shared vision of a stronger union, please read their candidate statements. Thank you for your consideration.

Solidarity,

Stephanie Higgins, she/her

BENJAMIN NOLAN, Bargaining Committee Research and Proposal Coordinator [Graduate Power Slate]

Fellow workers,

I’m running because I believe our contract is both invaluable and under threat from an administration dead-set on eroding our economic, professional and—starkly, a year into COVID—our bodily security. I’d like to be part of standing up to this threat, and I think I can bring a lot to the fight.

I’ve been an enthusiastic GEO member since my first Fall as a PhD student in 2015 when I was elected a steward for Political Science. Since then, I’ve served as International Caucus Co-Chair, Stewards Assembly Co-Chair, and as a member-at-large of the Steering Committee. In these capacities and as a rank-and-file member, I have organized, supported, and testified at major grievances around issues of unit erosion, parity-in-cuts, management rights, appointment and reappointment, and harassment (articles 1, 28, 13, 23, and 19). I’ve collaborated in organizing and/or instigating GEO events, including legal advice workshops for international students facing an escalation in xenophobic incidents and threats to immigration status, a GEO Women’s World Cup viewing event, and Up With Workers Wednesdays. I’ve also been a GEO delegate to two Coalition of Graduate Employee Unions conferences. 

From this range of GEO experience, I’ve learned a lot about our contract—its strengths and current limitations, especially compared to contracts won by other graduate employee unions. I’ve also learned about admin: how it operates and what makes it respond. More importantly, over the past six years, I’ve gotten to know many of you, and am keen to build on the work the bargaining team has been doing to bring your ideas and priorities to the table and make sure that they’re reflected in our next contract. 

I’m thrilled to be sharing a slate and vision with Sharanya Sridhar, Bilgesu Sümer, Stephanie Higgins, Tom Corcoran, Amanda Suzzi, and Nicole Daphnis. 

Some of our priorities: 

For more on our ideas, check out the “Graduate Power Slate” Facebook page and YouTube Channel, and please reach out to me if you have any questions or ideas: bjk.nolan@gmail.com 

Solidarity!

AMANDA SUZZI, Bargaining Organizing & Mobilization Coordinator [Graduate Power Slate]

Fellow workers,

My name is Amanda Suzzi, and I hope you will vote for me as the next Bargaining Organizing & Mobilization Coordinator. I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to work with you for the past year as Steward for the Environmental Conservation Department. I have also been active in the leadership of our local, UAW Local 2322, serving on the Local Joint Council. Additionally, I am a graduate student senator, which uniquely positions me to have learned about the various problems that students face socially, economically and academically. 

My passion for the union stems from my past experiences as a unionist and belief in fairness and equity for all workers. I have special interest in seeing more graduate women and international graduate employees on campus have a voice in union matters and as committed union activists. My strength lies in organizing, mobilizing and coordinating union activities and events which I believe are crucial to sustaining a vibrant and strong union on campus and the world at large. I have developed a strong working relationship with many graduate student employees from different departments over the past three years that I have been a graduate student.
During the past pandemic year, we’ve entered a new era of labor and education activism. But one thing has not and will not change: we are united in our efforts to make the University of Massachusetts an equitable, hospitable, and accountable institution. With both impact and successor bargaining set to continue into this year, an energized and informed membership is crucial to our success at the bargaining table. The needs of the membership will be my foremost concern when addressing what areas of our contract need to be strengthened. I am confident that we can organize to embody the ideals of democratic, progressive unionism.  

My priorities for the coming year include:

If you elect me as your Bargaining Organizing and Mobilization Coordinator, I will do my best to represent and push for your demands. I will advocate for a strong and fair contract that supports our needs as students. The relationships and networks I have fostered with you will be invaluable as a continued source of information about our diverse and common needs. I want to work with all of you to ensure that we get a better deal from the university that is commensurate with all the dedication and commitment we invest in our jobs every-day.
Thanks!