News

Wage Reopener Wins!

Below is a summary of changes GEO won in the agreement reached in November 2021 as part of our wage reopener with the University. A complete text of proposed changes to the contract was emailed to Members at the time of the ratification vote. 

• Stipend increase to take place Fall 2021

Full-Time Assistant, full year:

Step 1: $16,050.00

Step 2: $18,036.37

Step 3: $19,560.43

• Stipend increase to take place Fall 2022 (Minimum Stipend Rates payable to TA/RA/GAAs)

Full-Time Assistant, full year:

Step 1: $17,500.00

Step 2: $19,118.55

Step 3: $20,538.45

• Parking rate set at $60 / semester (Starting Fall 2022)

• The University will pay 40% of the total cost of any student-only optional dental plans made available to all students through the University.

Election results!

Voting is closed and the results are in! Congratulations to our new officers, who will begin their tenure Spring 2021.

President: Razvan Stanescu
Vice President: Derek Tang
Officer: Abbas Kazi
Officer: Sabrina Rapisarda

Thank you to everyone who ran in the election and to everyone who voted-- your participation in your union is vital to our collective success, ensuring that we win and maintain safe and equitable working conditions for all Graduate Assistants!  

Elections are underway

Voting for new GEO officers opens on Monday, November 16. Check out the candidate statements here and keep an eye out for your invitation to cast your vote! (Note that only dues-paying members can run and vote in elections. Email geo@uml.edu to check your dues-paying status or to sign a union membership card.)

WE HAVE A CONTRACT!

We are incredibly excited to announce that we have reached agreement with the University on a new contract! Below is a summary of changes GEO won in the agreement. A complete text of proposed changes to the contract was emailed to Members at the time of the ratification vote. 

Wins in the new contract: 

• Stipend increase to take place Fall 2020

Full-Time Assistant, full year:

Step 1: $15,000.00

Step 2: $16,856.42

Step 3: $18,280.78

• Wage re-opener for Fall 2021 and Fall 2022*

• Parking rate set at $60 / semester

• A freeze on all existing fees and no new fees for academic year 2020 – 2021

• Language which provides additional protections for students in the College of Engineering, requiring that the College may not terminate a graduate worker’s ½ Teaching Assistantship after the loss of a Research Assistantship without first offering them an alternative ½ Research Assistantship.

• The University wanted a hard funding limit of 2 years for Masters students and 5 years for PhD students. We were able to bargain for funding extensions to be granted at the approval of the student’s Dean.

• Mandates that graduate students must be given written performance evaluations with concrete, measurable improvements provided to the Assistant as appropriate. Adequate time will be provided to the Assistant to implement these improvements.

• The University will make reasonable efforts to ensure that no Graduate Assistant will suffer a delay in pay due to delays in the processing of contracts.

• Specified language to indicate that the workweek is 18 hours per week full-time and 9 hours per week part-time. If a supervisor or Graduate Assistant would like to modify hours hours (e.g. work extra hours one week and reduce hours another week), it must be discussed between both supervisor and Graduate Assistant

• The University accepts responsibility to reimburse a Graduate Student for materials required to complete Teaching and Research duties, such as textbooks and necessary travel.

• Won the right to accept and partake in part-time employment outside the University (defined as 15 hours/week or less) without the need to seek permission from a supervisor. Outside employment at a higher number of hours/week must still be approved by a Graduate Assistant’s supervisor. All employment must still be disclosed to a supervisor, in order to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.

*Due to economic concerns related to Covid-19 the University is unable to commit to continued base wage increases beyond what would be increasing Sept. 2020. The wage reopener language ensures that we are able to continue to bargain over wages for these academic years, once both the University and GEO have a clearer idea of what the budget looks like for the University, without having to wait for those bargaining sessions to implement a pay increase for Fall 2020. This gives us time to build the momentum we need to see additional stipend increases for those years of the contract.

If you have any questions about any of these contract wins, please feel free to reach out: geo@uml.edu

Work Period Clarification

Work periods are outlined in our CBA (downloadable here) under Article 10, but to answer your questions about working over breaks: TAs and RAs enjoy the same breaks as students. You are expected to work 9 or 18 hours per week from the first to the last day of the semester (last day of exams), excluding holidays, spring and summer breaks and winter intercession. You may work during these periods, but you are entitled to a separate hourly contract. Such a contract would be for pay in addition to your regular TA/RA salary.

Health Insurance

Hello members. As a new year approaches, please keep in mind that full time TAs and RAs receive an 80% student health insurance waiver.  You may be billed for the full amount, but once your signed contract is processed the waiver should kick in. In the meantime, you may pay the 20% you are responsible for.