This is an illegal strike. There is a no-strike clause in our contract that only allows us to “walk out” while we’re negotiating a new contract. There could be massive repercussions but we need all of higher ed, all union labor, to have their eyes on our strike. Only with pressure from grad students, faculty, undergrads, and people outside of the University of Michigan will the administration listen to any of our demands.

We’re striking for universal remote work for ALL workers, not just grad students, a universal $2500 emergency grant for all grad students, lifting restrictions on childcare subsidies, and defunding campus cops by 50%. These are incredible demands and as one of the oldest grad student unions, it’s our responsibility to push the most radical demands and really bring thjs university to its knees.

Up the strike!
Down with admin!

Please fill out this form to auto send a letter in support of the GEO strike:

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/strikeforsafecampus

If you’re an academic or connected to a university, please consider making a public statement of support of GEO 3550 and our fight for a safe and just campus!

Campus police at UM Ann Arbor were only armed in the 1990s, and were armed because Ann Arbor city police were reluctant to crack down on anti-racist student protestors

This says SO MUCH about what the actual role of campus pigs are. Safety my ass.

https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754852/708

@ocrbot

There’s a solidarity fund, accessible here:
https://www.geo3550.org/join-us/contribute/

Please kick some money our way, because we’re trying to cover the lost wages for all the construction workers who refused to cross our picket line. This will require tons of support. Please boost and share!

oof

been too busy to update everyone

but we were made an offer, it was shitty and insulting! so we turned it the fuck down and kept on striking. meanwhile, solidarity from undergrads and faculty grows

https://www.geo3550.org/2020/09/10/geo-membership-votes-to-reject-offer-continue-work-stoppage/

trade unions respecting the picket lines today too

Dining service workers organized a work stoppage for today

undergrads who are residential advisors joining us in their own strike and coming to our picket lines

Why we must support GEO: The historical power of strikes at the University
by Brittany Bowman

https://www.michigandaily.com/section/opinion/why-we-must-support-geo-historical-power-strikes-university

From the initial GEO strike in 1975 to the Black Action Movement to the current GEO strike of 2020, here's a great summary of why strikes work at the University of Michigan

Faculty at the University of Michigan have been circulating and signing this letter this morning:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yt-YuQ2keYhrWU6kAn2D3anAfG40U0dwmIeI_MxTKFg/preview?pru=AAABdKFxtdU*2KssxKmFTZrB0bkzCIHm_A

Over 200 signatures and counting! Faculty solidarity means so much!

University of Michigan Graduate Workers Are on Strike

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/09/university-michigan-graduate-workers-strike

"GEO is insisting that 'safety' and 'security' aren’t two separate subjects. Take, for example, the university’s police force’s name: the Division of Public Safety and Security. GEO is insisting that such security forces do not make us safe. And the COVID demands speak to a different vision of safety, where the health of the community is not subordinated to the university’s bottom line."

We voted to extend the strike https://www.geo3550.org/2020/09/13/strike-extension/

So here we are! Still going. Overwhelmed, a little bit. Buoyed by the shows of solidarity from people outside of UM's campus. Heartened by how people are being so quickly radicalized. Shocked that such a strike is being pulled off through the frantic work making up for a lack of years of coalition building.

Op-Ed: GEO strike gains momentum despite smears from ‘U’ administration

bit.ly/3hsECzi

"Overwhelmingly, the University’s response has mischaracterized GEO’s decision to strike, our demands and prior steps GEO had taken to avoid the strike. The rhetoric used in both internal and external coverage of the protests, rallies and work stoppage has sought to paint the University administrators as victims who have been working tirelessly with unreasonable graduate students."

Oh, the president of the university is pursuing legal action against the union

way to NOT convince us that you're all about $$$ sir!

We're still out here

I;m sorry to link to Twitter, but there has been a COVID outbreak in the school of dance because of the lack of protocols, testing, and infrastructure to prevent it:

https://twitter.com/geo3550/status/1305879298142875648

@jasminee Thanks for sharing this! I'm going to take a look at my university's archives and see if something similar happened here. Solidarity.

@jasminee Holy shit our campus police weren't armed until 2013! And somehow the potential for disarmament is considered to be impossible!