Contract Bargaining Session 5

July 11, 2025

On Friday July 11th, GEO held our fifth bargaining session with the university. We passed over two proposals: one was an edit on XXIII. Electronic Availability, the other a new proposal on Children and Families that demands longer parental leave, a childcare stipend, accommodations for workers who are parents, and an improved bereavement policy. Though we had planned to pass VIII. Hours of Work, members attending this bargaining session agreed that this proposal still needed more work and input before passing over to UIC. 

UIC passed four proposals to us: XI. Union Rights, XVIII. Access to Personnel File, IX. Additional Employment, and XVI. Dues Deduction. In the latter 3 cases, UIC rejected nearly all proposed language from GEO that would ensure more frequent access to personnel file, ownership of materials like syllabi and worksheets created by grad workers for their classes, and accountability for UIC’s continuous negligence in handling the withdrawal of dues. In the case of Union Rights, UIC offered a deal worse than the status quo – removing our slots from regularly scheduled orientations.

GEO also pushed once again on the Memorandum of Understanding, which UIC has refused to engage with in any meaningful or constructive way. UIC’s team directed us to shoddy and half-hidden university policies subject to change at a moment’s notice. When GEO members brought up the issues with having these policies not set in stone through a labor contract, as well as the extra protections needed for international workers for which no policies exist, UIC had no meaningful response other than to say they would not engage further with the MOU. It is clear that we need to find better ways to guarantee protections for our international workers through the contract.

While it’s sad to see UIC is refusing to budge on many of these straightforward demands, it’s not surprising. Only through our organizing strength and mobilization can we win the fair contract we deserve. On this note, members are encouraged to attend open meetings of the Bargaining Committee on Mondays at 5pm, and join the Contract Action Team which meets every other Thursday at 5pm (our next CAT meeting is planned for the 24th). Additionally, we plan to hold a special workshopping session to strategize ways to protect international workers, potentially through adding (potentially tweaked) language from the MOU to other existing articles. We will have more information about a date for this workshop coming soon, likely after the bargaining team meets this evening.

Reach out to our bargaining committee with your questions, concerns, and suggestions at bargaining-comm@uicgeo.org!