Graduate Assistants United approves strike authorization vote
PDF Graduate assistants can now strike on or after Oct. 6.
Of the 88 percent of eligible dues-paying members who voted whether or not to give authorization to the union’s bargaining team to set a strike date if no significant progress is made in bargaining, 97 percent voted yes.
Kristi Brownfield, vice president of communications for the GAU, said this is a message to the university that contract negotiations have gone too long.
The union is one of four Illinois Education Association that has been without a contract since June 2010 when the previous contract ended.
“We want our legitimate needs around fees that have gone up over $1,000 since 2006 and inadequate health care for ourselves and our families addressed,” she said.
She said the bargaining team will continue to work with the administration to settle on mutual contract but if the university’s position on fees and health care do not change the union will ask graduate assistants to go on strike.
“We all hope that a strike can be averted but please be aware we may have to strike to gain the things we want,” she said in a post on the union’s website.
See Monday’s Daily Egyptian for more on this story.
Sarah Schneider can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 255.
