Strike Vote Procedures
As you consider this issue, here are a few things to think about:
- A YES vote authorizing a strike is not the same as setting a strike date at a certain time
- A YES vote means the decision to set the strike date resides with the Graduate Assistants United Bargaining Team who will have the most up-to-date information about progress
- A Yes vote shows trust in your volunteer Bargaining Team members who have spent hours of frustrating negotiations with Administration
- A YES vote tells Cheng that we demand respect
- A YES vote gives an opportunity for real bargaining and that you are serious about getting a fair contract now
- A YES vote is about Agreement as a goal and a strike if necessary
- A YES vote now after almost 15 months [450 days on 9/23/11] since our contract expired our contract shows restraint by your union leadership
- A YES vote shows your resolve to wait for an agreement fully acceptable to you which addresses your real concerns on rising fees and inadequate health care
GA UNITED VOTING PROCEDURES
- Only dues-paying members of Graduate Assistants United (GAU) will be eligible to vote. Name on the official membership roster or copies of membership forms are proof of eligibility. Represented members may join at any time until the vote ends and then cast their ballot. Membership forms are available on our website: http://gaunited.org/join-us/
- Voting will occur in Lawson 141 from 4pm until 7pm on Friday September 30th.
- A member voting in person may receive their ballot by reporting to the Election Committee table outside Lawson 141. The member will print his/her name and sign the Official Membership Roster. After signing, the member will be given their ballot.
- The member will then proceed into Lawson 141 where the ballot may be marked in secret. The ballot must be marked with a: X or a check mark. No other marks on the ballots will be counted. Members then should fold their ballots in half and deposit them in the balloting box supervised by an Election Committee observer.
- Absentee balloting is allowed. You may read our absentee balloting procedure online: http://gaunited.org/strike-vote-procedures/strike-vote-absentee-and-proxy-ballot-procedures/
- At 7:01pm, after balloting is closed, the Election Committee shall count all valid ballots and give a tally of ballots to GAU’s President at the conclusion of counting. Any member may observe the counting of the ballots.
- The question on the ballot will be: “Do you authorize the bargaining team to call for a strike on or after October 6th if no significant progress has been made in bargaining?”
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I am a graduate assistant (GA) at SIU. However, I am not a GAU member, so I cannot vote on striking despite being legally represented by GAU. While I strongly support increasing the GA stipend to match rising fees, I do not want a strike. Being a GA is not a regular job – I am being compensated with a free graduate degree for my work, which for me personally has been very targeted towards my professional development and has not involved any abuses by faculty etc. Specific GAs being misused by supervisors should take individual grievances against the supervisor.
I expected to be under-paid in graduate school in exchange for a free education. Being a GA should not be a long-term condition and I do not feel the need for extensive health insurance benefits or compensation. My health and safety are not jeopardized by my work, the original reason unions arose during Industrialization. A strike merely means lost productivity, which means I don’t finish school as quickly and spend more time being an under-paid GA. I intend to put my efforts towards finishing my degree and getting a real job with reasonable pay and benefits.