UMass Amherst grad employees march for a fair contract....GEO WALKS OUT TOMORROW APRIL 21! GEOUAW.ORG for more info...

Videos

Barbara Ehrenreich speaks at UMass Amherst 4-21-05 in support of grad employee and student walkout.

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Photos

UMass Amherst grad employees march

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I'm not involved in this event but I saw another member had tried to post this as a photo so I thought I'd repost it as a 'story'.

UMass Amherst- Protest March - 3-31-05

View it here:

Hundreds of students and grad student employees march and block traffic
before delivering more than 350 letters demanding a fair contract for
the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO), UAW Local 2322 AFL-CIO. GEO
represents 2400 grad employees who teach and do research at UMass and
has been negotiating with the University for over one year for a new
contract. UMass is seeking major concessions in the areas of healthcare
and childcare and is offering low raises which result in a decrease in
real wages as compared to inflation. UMass already ranks 6 out of 7
peer institutions in terms of compensation for grad
employees--concessions will make UMass dead last. For more info see
http://www.geouaw.org

The march was also protesting UMass Chancellor Lombardi's plan to
respond to a Diversity Commission report that showed clear racial
tensions on campus, recently demonstrated by emails showing complicity
between Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Mike Gargano, Director of
Student Legal Services Chuck Dimare, and SGA leader Patrick Higgins in
undermining the Office of ALANA Affairs. Union grievances have been
filed, as well as unfair labor practice charges with Mass Labor
Relations Commission. More info at http://www.takebackumass.com

Other labor direct action on the campus has included flying pickets and
leafletting new student tours. Faced with university intransigence at
the bargaining table, GEO plans to escalate actions in coming weeks.

GRAD
EMPLOYEE WALKOUT / STUDENT BOYCOTT

APRIL
21, 2005

Why is a walkout necessary? Why is a boycott
necessary?

It's become crystal clear to the GEO
bargaining committee that UMass is now no longer really
negotiating, but is instead working hard to declare impasse,
which could mean mediation. It's a mediator's job to coax
the parties to compromise—but right now we can only compromise
between cuts and status quo. UMass has given indications
that even re-signing our old contract is now unacceptable.
Unless you want to pay more for services and receive less
real dollars in your paycheck, we believe drastic action
is required.

Without
a Fair Contract we're calling for: GEO WALKOUT, APRIL
21.

Student groups
are calling for a
Student Boycott and GEO is calling for a Grad
Employee Walkout on Thursday April 21, 2005
(NOTE the 21st is a Monday schedule). A walkout would
mean that grad TAs and RAs go to GEO events instead of
their regular routine.

MAIN
EVENTS SCHEDULE
(All
events are on theStudent Union Lawn/ inside Student Union
if the
weather proves inclement)

9AM - PICKET LINES

9AM
- NOON - TEACH-IN

9AM-
4PM - CALL - IN

10AM & 11AM - CRITICAL UMASS

NOON
- 2PM - BBQ & GAMES

1PM -TEACH-IN: Barbara
Ehrenrich

2PM - 4PM - TEACH-IN

The
Massachusetts Society
of Professors (MSP) have passed the following resolution
regarding the walkout/ boycott:

"Undergraduate
students and graduate student employees, concerned about
campus diversity and about cuts in real wages, have called
for a day of action - a class boycott for undergraduates
and concerted action for graduate students - on Thursday
April 21 (a Monday in the university class schedule).
I pledge not to penalize those who participate in these
activities because of a principled commitment."

As
of Tuesday April 19th, over 200 faculty have signed
this pledge

And
HOWARD ZINN had this to say:
"I
would like to express my solidarity with the graduate
students at the University of Massachusetts , Amherst
, in their struggle for justice at the University.
Graduate students have too often been exploited as
cheap labor by academic institutions, and it is refreshing
to see them organizing and demanding their rights.
I hope the students, faculty, and staff at UMass Amherst
will stand together in support of your campaign."

Other events will be posted here as announced. http://www.geouaw.org http://www.takebackumass.com