Upcoming bargaining meeting dates:
March 27th - 1-5pm
April 1st - 10am-3pm
Tentatively Scheduled Meetings, times to follow!
April 6th
April 13th
April 15th
April 28th
April 29th
April 30th
Showing posts with label AFT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AFT. Show all posts
Monday, March 23, 2015
Securing non-economic issues in our contract
MSU is old school. They believe that issues like better diversity language and childcare subsidies are frivolous and unnecessary. They believe that some of the non-economic issues we have brought up say that we are not taking our responsibility as a bargaining team seriously.
Yet, the economic platform they presented reduces our compensation package drastically.
1) It removes any subsidies for spouses/dependents on healthcare.
2) It puts increases in healthcare costs on us, while making increasing vague the language of what they will cover, providing us with a lower quality plan to begin with and reducing services. Plan would be the one they select, and quite likely would not include perks like a prescription plan.
3) It further reduces our already very limited tuition compensation. Many departments require us to hold 10 credits (MSU only pays for 9) in fall/spring and ALREADY incur a cost. The GEU maintains a pool for providing for people who have to take on additional credits. This pool will be REMOVED.
4) If you ever go on a leave, you must be subjected to a medical evaluation before you return to work, and you may be put on unpaid medical leave.
MSU is trying to weaken the union. We are fighting hard to prevent that, but it is a possible reality. Please let us know how these changes might affect you, personally. Here is an example from a graduate student in geological sciences on how these changes may affect her:
"After my MS, I was employed at a non-profit. The pay wasn't great, but I had amazing healthcare. Then 2008 hit, and we incurred a drastic change in provided healthcare. Then, we incurred the costs of rising healthcare. I could no longer afford to pay my student loans and be a working adult. I had to leave that position.
Additionally, our department requires that we not take more than one 999 (PhD research credit) per semester until we've passed our comps. If I take 2.5 years to pass my comps, I only have 5 999 credits. I then have 1.5-2 years, according to our graduate handbook, to finish my degree. It is not possible to get the required 24 research credits without paying MSU out of my own pocket. These changes will impact my fiscal bottom line so much so that I would not be able to complete this degree without taking out student loans. I would never choose to attend MSU, when other universities would offer me so much more."
Is this the university you want to work for? One that devalues TAs, is working to weaken the union, and limit our abilities to educate our students? One that forces us to choose, as 20 and 30 somethings, to further delay starting or growing our families?
The next bargaining meeting is this Friday, March 27th. Come out and join the growing group of people who will stand with bargaining to tell MSU that this contract is morally reprehensible.
#StandUpForTHIS
#GEUisU
Yet, the economic platform they presented reduces our compensation package drastically.
1) It removes any subsidies for spouses/dependents on healthcare.
2) It puts increases in healthcare costs on us, while making increasing vague the language of what they will cover, providing us with a lower quality plan to begin with and reducing services. Plan would be the one they select, and quite likely would not include perks like a prescription plan.
3) It further reduces our already very limited tuition compensation. Many departments require us to hold 10 credits (MSU only pays for 9) in fall/spring and ALREADY incur a cost. The GEU maintains a pool for providing for people who have to take on additional credits. This pool will be REMOVED.
4) If you ever go on a leave, you must be subjected to a medical evaluation before you return to work, and you may be put on unpaid medical leave.
MSU is trying to weaken the union. We are fighting hard to prevent that, but it is a possible reality. Please let us know how these changes might affect you, personally. Here is an example from a graduate student in geological sciences on how these changes may affect her:
"After my MS, I was employed at a non-profit. The pay wasn't great, but I had amazing healthcare. Then 2008 hit, and we incurred a drastic change in provided healthcare. Then, we incurred the costs of rising healthcare. I could no longer afford to pay my student loans and be a working adult. I had to leave that position.
Additionally, our department requires that we not take more than one 999 (PhD research credit) per semester until we've passed our comps. If I take 2.5 years to pass my comps, I only have 5 999 credits. I then have 1.5-2 years, according to our graduate handbook, to finish my degree. It is not possible to get the required 24 research credits without paying MSU out of my own pocket. These changes will impact my fiscal bottom line so much so that I would not be able to complete this degree without taking out student loans. I would never choose to attend MSU, when other universities would offer me so much more."
Is this the university you want to work for? One that devalues TAs, is working to weaken the union, and limit our abilities to educate our students? One that forces us to choose, as 20 and 30 somethings, to further delay starting or growing our families?
The next bargaining meeting is this Friday, March 27th. Come out and join the growing group of people who will stand with bargaining to tell MSU that this contract is morally reprehensible.
#StandUpForTHIS
#GEUisU
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
GEU Bargaining Platform - Stand Up for THIS!
As we return to our regularly scheduled teaching appointments, saying goodbye to the time to relax, get some hardcore research done, or catch up on grading, and hello to students filled with spring-induced twitterpation (Bambi, not the app), the GEU wants to remind you that we value your commitment to your students' education.
The general bargaining platform for the 2015 contract is "Stand Up For T.H.I.S. - Tuition, Healthcare, Inclusivity, Salary."
The general bargaining platform for the 2015 contract is "Stand Up For T.H.I.S. - Tuition, Healthcare, Inclusivity, Salary."
As we move into Right-to-Work (for less), the Graduate Employee Union
will work for an overall improvement of the quality of life of its graduate
students.
We are emphasizing the mental, physical, and emotional well-being
of graduate employees.
We will fight for improved access to workplace and scholarly
resources, healthful activities, and transportation.
Teaching assistants deserve affordable and accessible health care for
themselves and their families.
Campus health resources are currently under-supported, especially
mental health services. Additionally, coverage for families is
prohibitively expensive. The student contribution to cover a spouse is
4,521 dollars. The cost to cover a spouse and all children approaches
the minimum stipend for graduate students. These are problems we
seek to fix.
Teaching assistants at MSU often live on tenuous financial footing.
GEU is fighting for a full tuition waiver.
We are pushing the University to not settle for being in the middle of
the pack, but instead offering increased stipends that put MSU at the
top of Big 10 schools for TA compensation.
To function at its best, GEU wants to ensure better access to information
about our membership, and is requesting a consistently formatted CBU
list from the university on a regular basis. This will also help ensure that all
our contract is being enforced everywhere on campus, and that all GEU
members are protected and empowered in the workplace.
GEU believes in its members, and as we form our new
contract, we pledge to stand up for THIS.
will work for an overall improvement of the quality of life of its graduate
students.
We are emphasizing the mental, physical, and emotional well-being
of graduate employees.
We will fight for improved access to workplace and scholarly
resources, healthful activities, and transportation.
Teaching assistants deserve affordable and accessible health care for
themselves and their families.
Campus health resources are currently under-supported, especially
mental health services. Additionally, coverage for families is
prohibitively expensive. The student contribution to cover a spouse is
4,521 dollars. The cost to cover a spouse and all children approaches
the minimum stipend for graduate students. These are problems we
seek to fix.
Teaching assistants at MSU often live on tenuous financial footing.
GEU is fighting for a full tuition waiver.
We are pushing the University to not settle for being in the middle of
the pack, but instead offering increased stipends that put MSU at the
top of Big 10 schools for TA compensation.
To function at its best, GEU wants to ensure better access to information
about our membership, and is requesting a consistently formatted CBU
list from the university on a regular basis. This will also help ensure that all
our contract is being enforced everywhere on campus, and that all GEU
members are protected and empowered in the workplace.
GEU believes in its members, and as we form our new
contract, we pledge to stand up for THIS.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
GEU Bargaining 2015
Welcome to your source for GEU@MSU bargaining 2015 updates!
The bargaining committee has already begun meeting with MSU administration to start ironing out non-economic parts of our contract. Things like contractual guarantees for spaces for nursing mothers, education about mental health first aid, and when and how we are contacted regarding our TA appointments.
There's room for you!
Upcoming bargaining dates are scheduled as follows:
If you'd like to attend a bargaining session, or if there is an important issue you'd like to come in solidarity to support, please contact us! geu @ msu. edu
And if you have questions about the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State, visit our website geuatmsu.org, email us, or swing by our office at 319 1/2 E. Grand River, above Modern Skate and Surf.
The bargaining committee has already begun meeting with MSU administration to start ironing out non-economic parts of our contract. Things like contractual guarantees for spaces for nursing mothers, education about mental health first aid, and when and how we are contacted regarding our TA appointments.
There's room for you!
Upcoming bargaining dates are scheduled as follows:
3/5 - 12 to 2:30
3/9 - 1 to 5
3/18 - 1 to 5
3/27 - 1 to 5
4/1 - 10 to 3
If you'd like to attend a bargaining session, or if there is an important issue you'd like to come in solidarity to support, please contact us! geu @ msu. edu
Stay tuned for more updates!
And if you have questions about the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State, visit our website geuatmsu.org, email us, or swing by our office at 319 1/2 E. Grand River, above Modern Skate and Surf.
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