Fellow workers,
The Bargaining Committee has great news for you: we have reached a tentative agreement on our GEO contract and we recommend that the membership vote to ratify it! We thank you all for your support, solidarity and dedication in this year-long struggle for improved working and living conditions. While not a comprehensive list of our contract wins, what follows is a brief breakdown of what this successor contract means for GEO members. For a full breakdown of the new contract and to vote on ratification, join us on Tuesday, May 1 for our GEO May Day Relax-In Brunch and Membership Meeting.
–A freeze of any increases to the graduate service fee for the life of the contract (2017-2020). This is especially good news
because the University had planned fee increases for next academic year.
–Wage increases of $1.00 to the GEO minimum (currently at $25.23/hr) each year for the life of the contract for those paid at or
within a dollar above the minimum. On top of that, all GEO members will also receive a wage increase of 7.5% over the life of
the contract. This equates to an average raise of $3000 for those on a 20-hour two semester contract. Wage increases are
retroactive to September 2017.
–Family health insurance and health fee waivers increase from 90% to 95%.
–Decrease in healthcare costs: lower prescription drug prices and lower medical procedure costs. Out of pocket maximums reduced
by $200 for individuals and $2,000 for families.
–Mechanism to include non-working fellows in the GEO bargaining unit on a rolling basis before, and no later than, Fall 2019.
–Extension of benefits and protections to non-working fellows under grants which otherwise restrict them from the bargaining
unit.
–Unused vacation time will be paid out to graduate workers at the end of their contract.
–Increase in paid family and medical leave from 60 hours to 100 hours per year. All FMLA qualifying events will now be paid in
addition to the parental leave that we won in 2015.
–UMass will increase its current contribution for childcare reimbursements from $15,000 to $115,000 per year alongside general
increases to the university’s contribution to our Health and Welfare Trust Fund.
–Significant improvements to our non-discrimination article, including institutional protections in the form of specialized legal
aid, paid for by the University, and employment-seeking support for international students.
–GEO will now have five full time staff positions paid for by the University, instead of four.
–Stronger anti-harassment protections.
–Guaranteed access to all-gender bathrooms for all graduate student workers, not just the TAs and TOs that we won in 2015.
For more information on the new contract, to vote for its ratification, and to discuss what GEO’s summer plans are please join us at our May Day Relax-In on Tuesday, May 1 from 9AM to 1PM in the Cape Cod Longe of the UMass Student Union. We will have brunch from Black Sheep and a quick Membership Meeting from noon to 1PM.
GEO Relax-In: Tuesday, May 1 from 9AM to 1PM, Cape Cod Lounge, Student Union.
Black Sheep Brunch
Ratification vote
Membership Meeting at noon
Ratification vote continues in the GEO office from 1 to 5PM on Tuesday
More info and RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/585621255138097/
In Solidarity,
The GEO Bargaining Committee
