November 9, 2010
by gaunited
On Thursday October 21, GAU leadership held a general membership meeting to give the state of the union and bargaining to our members. The meeting covered some background information on the union but the major focus of what the meeting was about dealt with bargaining.
GAU is currently bargaining our second contract. As employees, our best protection and way to gain quality benefits and pay is through a strong contract. We negotiate a strong contract by showing strong union membership numbers and by putting pressure on the administration through collective action.
The leadership team and the bargaining committee conducted surveys of the teaching, research, and administrative assistants we represent. We also examined contracts of other graduate assistant unions across the state, in neighboring states, and across the country to try and see the best ways we could make our contract stronger. Finally, using the member surveys as a guide, we began going through our own contract to identify problems and find solutions.
We found several issues that affected graduate assistants which we made a priority to fix:
- Rising fees
Every time the fees rise, we are TAKING A PAY CUT.
- Inadequate stipend
Our stipends do not provide a living wage that allows graduate assistants to pay bills; many assistants graduate from SIUC with enormous loan debt.
- Inadequate health coverage
$1000 deductible; no partner or family benefit; no prescription coverage; no vision; no dental
- Assistantship length is too short
Assistants want guaranteed funding for their length of stay at SIUC; Master’s candidates should have funding for TWO YEARS and doctoral candidates should have funding for FOUR YEARS when you START.
- Earlier notification of having an assistantship
Many assistants spend months waiting on notification of whether or not they have funding.
- Earlier notification of actual assistantship assignment
Not only are assistants waiting longer and longer to find out if they have funding, they are also waiting to find out what they are being doing; this leads to trying to prepare a week before the semester begins.
- Clarification of what “work” means
Many assistants were being asked to do jobs and duties outside of their job descriptions; assistants should not be asked to pick up dry cleaning, get faculty or staff coffee, mow lawns, or other tasks; research assistants should not be asked to help faculty prepare a class; teaching assistants should not be asked to perform administrative tasks in department offices.
- Clarification on when assistants are allowed to take holidays, vacations, and paid leave
Assistants wanted to know if the student calendar – and student breaks – applied to them.
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