After three days collecting votes from its members, the Graduate Employees’ Organization has authorized a strike.

The GEO, which has been in bargaining sessions with the University since its contract expired in August, voted to authorize a strike committee on Friday. The committee will meet for the first time on Friday evening, and has the authority to call a strike at any time.

Stephanie Seawell, spokeswoman for the GEO, said the strike authorization is a step forward, but not set in stone, as they will likely wait until the next bargaining meeting on Nov. 26.

“The option (of striking) is fully and completely on the table,” she said. “Our bargaining team is willing to stick it out through (fall) break.”

Since Aug. 16, graduate employees have been working without a contract, the main stipulation of bargaining being safety of tuition waivers for graduate assistants and teaching assistants. The GEO represents 2,400 GAs and TAs on campus.

Most recently, Seawell said talks over healthcare for this population were “concerning” some members, as the administration would only give consideration if the GEO gave up ground on wages.

“Hopefully because we’ll have few days off, the tone (of the administration) will change,” she said. “(The bargaining issues) really matter to livelihood and ability of members (of the GEO) to be here on this campus.”

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article contained an out of context quote incorrectly stating the GEO would wait until after fall break to strike. “In no way have we determined that we will not go out until the 26th.  We might go out then, we might go out this monday, we might not go out at all.  We will be deciding this on a daily basis based on multiple factors,” Seawell said. The Daily Illini regrets this error.