GEO Pushes for Inclusion of Graduate Employees in Bargaining Unit While University Administration Seeks to Deny Rights to Nearly All

Following the GEO's legal victories in the Illinois Appellate Court (June 30, 2000) and the Illinois Supreme Court (October 4, 2000), the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) ordered both the University of Illinois administration and the Graduate Employees' Organization to "present written argument as to the proper implementation of the Appellate Court's decision, including argument concerning which graduate students are statutory employees and which are not under the significant connection test." This order was issued on November 14, 2000 with the arguments to be submitted by December 8, 2000.

Unsurprisingly, the Board of Trustees (BOT) suggested an extremist interpretation that would exclude nearly all graduate employees from union representation under the rationale that assistantships allow one to "think more broadly, to develop critical thinking and to develop presentation skills," or to "become familiar with the faculty and scholarly culture." They even went so far as to recommend that those performing clerical-type work should simply be added to the existing AFSCME clerical employee bargaining unit.

This proposal offers up an overly broad and exclusionary standard that dismisses and belittles the vital work performed by all classifications of graduate employees in furthering the University of Illinois' mission of teaching and research. As GEO Recording Secretary Kerry Wynn said, "Just because we're learning as we go doesn't mean it's not a job."

In contrast to the BOT proposal that would in effect deny all graduate employees the right to vote on union representation, the GEO proposal would include the majority of graduate employees. We believe that it is the largest possible unit consistent with the Appellate Court ruling. Further, the proposed unit is in keeping with the precedent set by the National Labor Relations Board in their ruling on graduate employees at New York University and with the majority of other State Boards where graduate employees are formally recognized.

After discussion with GEO departmental stewards, representatives of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and GEO's legal counsel, the Coordinating Committee and Steward Council Chair unanimously decided to file a brief arguing for the following unit:

Included: All teaching assistants, research assistants, and graduate assistants (referred to collectively as graduate assistants) employed by the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Excluded: All graduate assistants who are receiving compensation for work on their approved theses or dissertation or are fulfilling a degree requirement, all other employees, and guards and supervisors as defined by the [Illinois Educational Labor Relations] Act.

The GEO's mission is to establish a powerful, independent voice for all graduate employees on campus. The GEO will continue to work for this goal, no matter what bargaining unit the Labor Board decides upon. To that end, we look forward to continuing organizing for an election occurring in the near future. Winning such an election is the strongest way of insuring that we will be able to fulfill the GEO's goals.