Here’s what the majority of my union wants to walk out over:
https://www.geo3550.org/news/
one of the deans of my university just sent an email encouraging faculty to SCAB
claiming some kind of concern for undergrads when really that concern is only for the undergrad as a student-consumer, not prioritizing health and safety and wellness at this campus
fuck the university fuck deans fuck admin and UP THE STRIKE
University of Michigan graduate student strike
The University of Michigan twitter account retweeted a "happy labor day" graphic
and then 20 minutes later retweeted the UM public affairs account that included the anti-strike statement (link here: https://twitter.com/UMPublicAffairs/status/1303054069200809985 )
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 1
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.
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 1
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!
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
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!
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
the university is still telling students to scab by going to classes, and this being the University of Michigan (p conservative despite what some people think), those students are eating it up. There are a handful of undergrads who support us but they are in the minority.
There’s a lesson to be learned from this, and it’s that no grad student organizer should write off undergrad support (something I’ve seen union leadership do in the past...)
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
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
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
Holy shit, residential advisors (who are literally working in the dorms that are soon to be infected with COVID) are also going on strike
https://www.michigandaily.com/section/campus-life/resident-advisers-announce-strike
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
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!
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 3
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/
Why we must support GEO: The historical power of strikes at the University
by Brittany Bowman
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
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 4
Faculty at the University of Michigan have been circulating and signing this letter this morning:
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."
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 6
i mean we're still going to strike tho
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 7
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.
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 7
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."
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 8
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:
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 3
@jasminee stay strong and hold steady, y'all are doing hard, important work and i'm so with you
passing your links on to friends here so we can watch and learn. you're not alone ✊
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 3
@hvincent thank you so much!!!!!
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
@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.
UM GEO 3550 Strike Day 2
@jasminee Holy shit our campus police weren't armed until 2013! And somehow the potential for disarmament is considered to be impossible!
Here's a link to the LEO* union's statement on the grad student strike:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NYQXJ1oHI1OUkTp6e4OFmgdNCkvezIjJBYRiEGV_68Q/edit
*lecturer's union
solidarity!