This is the final After Bargaining Episode. We have successfully organized, strategized, and fought to win a feisty contract. The host, Essam, discusses with the two of the three lead negotiators the wins in our new contract. Chelsea and Sam go into detail about the raises we won, the protections against overwork we gained, and health care benefits we will receive in our new contract. This episode will also include some updates about GEO's website and where members can learn about retroactive pay, fee waivers, and much more. The three end the final episode with some reflections on a year of bargaining filled with struggles and agitations; they speak about their favorite moments and what do those moments mean to overall graduate workers.

The host, Essam Elkorghli, would like to thank our listeners for supporting this nascent project.

Do you ever wonder how did the Graduate Employees' Organization decide on its wage proposal? How does it speak to other peer research institutions? Where does admin's proposal place us compared to the big ten? All of this and much more is answered by the GEO's Finance Committee Co-Chair, Tony Mirasola (5th year PhD in Physics).

Tony and Essam end the episode with the important call to PACK the ROOM on Friday, 3/24th from 10am-5pm. The NEW LOCATION is SDRP (aka Ikenberry), 301 E Gregory, 2nd floor-Multi-Purpose Room.

If you have questions about the information shared, please contact Tony and Essam at ([email protected]), ([email protected])

Some of the sources mentioned in the episode:

[1]: https://www.uiucgeo.org/news/2023/3/3-newsletter-7j47c-97p54barg

[2]: https://dailyillini.com/salaryguide/

[3]: https://thesouthern.com/news/local/siu/top-siu-leaders-get-extensions-big-bonuses/article_b202a17d-7eaa-5b49-afe1-306a89f91412.html

[4]: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/updated-killeen-on-tap-for-second-100-000-performance-bonus/article_a6d6090b-21b6-5d92-b076-a0e6da324509.html

[5]: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-university-of-illinois-president-salary-20200114-374sbb57nvaxdm3fc5ly62w4hm-story.html

[6]: https://www.wcbu.org/state-news/2017-11-17/university-of-illinois-board-approves-175k-in-bonuses

Chelsea and Nachiketa join this episode to share what happened in the bargaining session on Friday, 3/9th/2023. In the episode, they provide a brief description of where we are in the bargaining process and then speak to our proposal and admin's response. In addition, Chelsea and Nachiketa speak about the history of working women's struggle and how the GEO is fighting for equity-related benefits (such as increased wages and child care). Chelsea also shared on the member's testimonial as graduate worker who is a parent. Nachiketa and Essam (the host) speak to the importance of showing up to the next bargaining session on Friday,  3/24th, for as long as they can. GEO believes that something big will happen in that session. 

Sam joins this episode to share what happened in the bargaining session on Thursday, the 2nd/3/2023. In the episode, Sam shares what economic response did the GEO receive from the adminstration, what did members think about it admin's response and how they reacted towards it. Sam and Essam discuss what does it mean to have such response and what is happening next week.

Tune in to these episodes to get the most detailed updates from the lead negotiators. Share them with colleagues.

Welcome back to the After Bargaining Podcast. Chelsea joins this episode to share what happened in the bargaining session on the 16th/2/2023. She shares the content of GEO's proposal, which included Wages, Health Care, Child Care, and many other articles. Chelsea and Essam discuss also the Adminstration's response. 

Tune in to these episodes to get the most detailed updates from the lead negotiators. Share them with colleagues. 

Tune in and give a listen to Graduate Employees' Organization and their success on the 20th bargaining session. Chelsea and Sam, the lead negotiators, join the After Bargaining podcast to share why this session was a success. The GEO signed seven tentative agreements and the leads provide intricate details of what these agreements are and what they mean to graduate workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

The lead negotiators, Sam and Nachiketa, join the After Bargaining podcast to share what happened in the final session of the year. In the first half of the episode, they discuss the importance of the Grievance process and what the University is taking away from our current contract. The second half of the episode, they discuss why haven't the Union and the University come to any agreements yet, and why is the bargaining process taking such a long time. 

Essam and Karla are hosted by Abhishek Kodumagulla and Chelsea Birchmier to share the details of a victorious day. They speak about the rally before the session, the proposals that were handed back and forth during the session, and the powerful testimonials shared by members during the session. This episode includes a bonus where the four bargaining team members end the episode with a union song. Tune in to learn about what was inside the proposals and celebrate a successful day of organizing. 

What is next with bargaining?

Bargaining session #19: Thursday 15th/12/2022 starting from 1:30pm-5:30pm. The location is to be declared. Consider supporting the bargaining team by volunteering for a role here: https://tinyurl.com/GEOBARGROLES.

And, we want you to join the bargaining team. Send an email if you want to join or have a testimonial on a specific issue: [email protected].

What are other GEO happenings?

Chelsea and Karla join the After Bargaining host, Essam, to give updates on the bargaining session that took place on the 28th/10/2022. They discuss the content of the package handed to admin by the Union, how did the admin respond, and all the other happenings of the bargaining session. 

This episode and future ones will be slightly longer reflecting: 1- our sessions are becoming longer, 2- we will include testimonials from members in our episodes.  In this episode, Patrick who is a graduate worker reads to us his testimonial that speaks about the pay cut many graduate workers received this year. 

What is next?

The GEO is hosting a Halloween Party on 5th/11/2022, Saturday, 8:30pm. Please come, invite your non-union friends and get them to join the union. There will be satiating food. 

Bargaining session #17: Thursday 3rd/11/2022 starting from 8:45pm-12:30pm at the Illini Union 314 A/B. Consider supporting the bargaining team by volunteering for a role here: https://tinyurl.com/GEOBARGROLES.

And, we want you to join the bargaining team. Send an email if you want to join or have a testimonial on a specific issue: [email protected]. 

In this episode of After Bargaining, the lead negotiators for Bargaining Session #15, Sam (History) and Nachiketa (Mathematics), speak with host & Bargaining Team member, Essam Elkorghli (Education)!

Just for context, last session the GEO gave the administration a package proposal that included articles such as Non-Discrimination, Appointment Terms, and Leaves and Holiday. In this episode, Nachiketa and Sam delve into what the admin has given in response to our previous movement. At the end, Essam and Nachiketa give updates on upcoming events.

This podcast is a great way to get caught up if you missed the  bargaining session, or want to hear more about the full contract bargaining process in general!

What is next?

Bargaining session #16: Friday October 28th starting from 1:45pm-4:30pm at the Levis Faculty Center. Consider supporting the bargaining team by volunteering for a role here: https://tinyurl.com/GEOBARGROLES.

And, we want you to join the bargaining team. Send an email if you want to join or have a testimonial on a specific issue: [email protected].