Text of the Agreement Negotiated by the Graduate Employees' Organization IFT/AFT and the Administration of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

STIPULATIONS

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and the Graduate Employees' Organization, AFT, IFT, AFL-CIO (GEO) have been engaged in a unit determination proceeding as a result of a petition filed by GEO to represent assistants at the Urbana-Champaign campus. After lengthy legal proceedings, including appeals to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) and the Appellate Court, the parties agreed to engage in off-the-record talks to explore settlement of the case. The focus of the talks was to identify which assistants have responsibilities and perform duties which are significantly connected to the educational programs and/or degrees which they are pursuing as graduate students (and should be excluded from a bargaining unit), and which assistants lack such a "significant connection" (and should be included in a bargaining unit).

The following stipulations represent the understanding and agreement of the parties concerning bargaining unit composition, contingent upon review and approval by each parties' constituents, and submission (in an acceptable format) to the IELRB. It is the intent of the parties to pursue the necessary steps for such review and approval, and submission to the IELRB.

I. Subject to the definitions and exclusions set forth below, the GEO and the University stipulate that the bargaining unit in which a representation election will be conducted by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) shall include assistants who are graduate students in good standing at the University's Urbana-Champaign campus and who have appointments as either Teaching Assistants (except for the initial semester when teaching is required by the departments listed below) or Graduate Assistants; and either hold a total appointment between .25 FTE and .67 FTE, or who receive a tuition and fee waiver from the assistantship appointment. The bargaining unit shall exclude Research Assistants (RA) and Pre-professional Graduate Assistants (PGA) as defined below. Only those hours/duties spent by a graduate employee in the satisfaction of his/her included (TA or GA) appointment will be included in the bargaining unit.

A. Definition of Teaching Assistants:

The duties of a teaching assistant are primarily in support of instruction, such as teaching classes; grading student assignments; leading lab or discussion groups in a course setting; developing academic instructional materials; accompanying/coaching music or vocal performances; providing artistic instruction; proctoring exams; overseeing or coordinating the work of other TAs; holding office hours; and/or tutoring students. Teaching Assistants in the following departments will be excluded from the bargaining unit only for the first semester that they teach:

Animal Biology; Biochemistry; Cell & Structural Biology; Chemistry; Germanic Languages & Literature; Microbiology; Plant Biology; and Psychology.

B. Definition of Graduate Assistants:

Graduate Assistants include all other assistants whose responsibilities are not covered by the definitions of Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant or Pre-professional Graduate Assistant. The duties of a Graduate Assistant are primarily in support of administrative functions, such as:

1) Clerical support (copying course materials, general office work/clerical/receptionist, correspondence, and supervising a reading room);
2) Technical/support services (Webmaster/assisting faculty with web pages, network administration/end user support, equipment management, monitoring instructional and service labs [computer, video etc.], translation, routine support for publications [record keeping, writing copy for university or department newsletters or non-research publications, correspondence, etc.]);
3) Advising (providing curricular and academic advice to students, providing support to advisors); and
4) Outreach duties (recruiting students, publicizing programs and activities to campus and public constituencies, and working with/assisting with event management).

II. It is stipulated that all RAs and PGAs as defined below are excluded from the bargaining unit.

A. Definition of Research Assistants:

The duties of a research assistant primarily involve applying and mastering research concepts, practices, or methods of scholarship by such means as conducting experiments, organizing or analyzing data, presenting findings in a publication or dissertation, collaborating with faculty in preparing publications, overseeing work of other RAs, and other research activities.

B. Definition of Pre-professional Graduate Assistants:

Pre-professional Graduate Assistants (PGA) are appointed to non-TA/non-RA assistantship positions, where they primarily gain experience, practice or guidance significantly connected to their fields of study and career preparation. Students enrolled in the following programs of study and who are appointed in their enrolling unit or in any of the corresponding appointing units listed below (or successor programs or departments) may be classified as PGAs:

University Remand Exhibit 16A illustrates which current GAs would have been classified as PGAs during Spring semester 2002. It is stipulated that other PGA positions may exist or be created (for example, as a result of creation of a new campus unit), in subsequent semesters and their inclusion/exclusion shall be subject to the process specified in Section IV.

III. Teaching Assistants or Graduate Assistants who are supervisors, managerial employees, confidential employees, or short term employees as defined by the IELRA are excluded from the bargaining unit.

IV. All assistants will be classified for the fall 2002 semester by the four categories described in this document. By October 1, 2002, the University will provide the GEO with a list of fall 2002 assistantship appointments which were made by the September 2002 pay calculation date, after which the University agrees to meet with the GEO to attempt to resolve any disagreements over the eligibility of specific employees.

V. It is understood that these stipulations must first be reviewed and approved by each party's constituents before submission to the IELRB.

Dated this 29th day of April, 2002