Frustrated by a lack of progress in contract negotiations with the University of Michigan, the Graduate Employees' Organization/AFT (GEO) launched a one-day walkout on March 24. Among their chief concerns: achieving a living wage for graduate employees, securing consistent healthcare coverage and protecting transgender, bisexual, lesbian and gay (TBLG) members' benefits.

More than 500 people signed up to walk the picket lines, reports GEO president David Dobbie.  GEO also received support from the Lecturers' Employee Organization (LEO)—another AFT affiliate, other unions and undergraduate students. Most graduate student-run classes were cancelled on Thursday while the walk-out was occurring.

The GEO at UM represents 1,600 graduate student employees. The union began negotiations in November 2004 for a contract that expired in February to improve living conditions and provide fundamental protections for TBLG employees.  In mid-February 2005 "gender identity or expression" was added to the union contract non-discrimination clause.  While many saw this as a step in the right direction, the issues that have yet to be resolved are pay, healthcare costs and coverage questions about mental health and transgender services. Graduate student instructors do more than a quarter of the teaching at UM, says Dobbie, yet "our total compensation package costs only about one-tenth of 1 percent of the UM budget."

GEO strikes are not unprecedented on the UM campus.  Members have walked out a total of 8.5 days since the union was first organized in 1975. The GEO's contract was the first contract in the nation to include non-discrimination protections for gay employees, but it took a GEO strike of 29 days, along with support rallies and the shutting down of entire buildings, to accomplish the feat.

Thirty years later, says GEO lead negotiator Andre Wilson, the union maintains its convictions: "Making strides towards fairness and equity may take more than a well-written or well-argued proposal," he says. "The TBLG community has always been strongest when individuals stand together, and stand firm."

Negotiations were expected to resume on March 25.  Updates on GEO contract negotiations can be found at http://www.umgeo.org/. [Julie Berry]

March 24, 2005