GEO hopeful for University compromise ahead of 26th contract bargaining session
March 23, 2023
This morning, the Graduate Employees Organization and the University met in the SDRP for their 26th contract bargaining session. According to a video posted by the GEO on Thursday, the organization believes this could be the last negotiation before a new contract for University graduate employees is finalized.
Since March 2022, graduate employees have been negotiating a replacement for their now-expired contract, according to the University website. The current contract was finalized in 2017 and expired in August of 2022.
According to Karla Sanabria-Véaz, GEO co-president, in over a year of negotiations, the University has begun to make compromises with the GEO within the last two bargaining sessions. Sanabria-Véaz said the organization hopes to see more movement in their direction during today’s bargaining session.
“During this process, the administration has … made us waste over six months without bringing a comprehensive proposal to the table,” Sanabria-Véaz said. “During the last session, they increased their first year offer (from 4%) to 5.9%. Our members were glad to see their movement of almost two percent.”
According to the University website, the University accepted all “noneconomic proposals” put forth by the GEO in their 23rd bargaining session and proposed an economic package at the 24th session. In the eyes of the GEO, Sanabria-Véaz said the economic proposals from the University thus far have not been proportionate to “historic rates of inflation.”
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Sanabria-Véaz said that although they will remain strong in their demands, the GEO needs to keep in mind that the longer they proceed with negotiations, the longer their membership will need to work under an expired contract.
Ultimately, Sanabria-Véaz said the members of GEO will decide together whether or not they are prepared to accept any of the University’s proposals during the bargaining session. After over a year of negotiations, Sanabria-Véaz said that members may be prepared to compromise on some points.
“Our membership has tasked us to win a fair contract as soon as possible — that has always been our goal, and that will remain to be our goal,” Sanabria-Véaz said. “If our members believe that the University’s movement is not enough, we will continue.”
