Things NTFC Members Can Do If GEO Strikes:
If GEO strikes, we encourage our members to support GEO’s efforts, abiding by our contractual requirement not to engage in an unauthorized work stoppage, by taking actions such as these below.
- March with strikers when such actions don’t interfere with your other duties (teaching class, holding office hours, conducting research, etc.). The picket line protest is one of the most important parts of the strike. Stephanie Seawell Fortado will coordinate where they need people to picket. Email Stephanie [stephseawell@gmail.com] to stay up-to-date and join her mailing list, as she will be using the list as details develop.
- Honor Picket Lines
- If your classroom building is being picketed, honoring picket lines could involve finding alternative venues for your classes. Office managers in your department should be able to help find alternative classroom space in a classroom building that is not being picketed.
- You can also make arrangements to use rooms and commons areas that don’t require reserving space with the registrar, such as at the YMCA Eatery, McKinley Foundation, Basement of the Illini Union, top of the bookstore (Author’s Corner), among other locations on campus.
- The Campus Faculty Association has also put together a list of off-campus locations you can move your class to.
- Digital collaboration tools such as Skype, GoToMeeting, Zoom, and Collaborate (through Compass and Moodle) may be usable as well.
- If you need to enter a building that is being picketed, you can ask for a solidarity emblem from the striking union (e.g., GEO badges, armbands, etc.)
- Take attendance in case you need to provide evidence that you did hold your class.
- Bring coffee and food to picketers.
- Contribute to the GEO Strike Fund:
- Paypal address is: treasurer@uigeo.org.
- Click the Strike Fund Donation button on the GEO website
- Donation checks can be made out to “Graduate Employees Organization” and mailed to: Graduate Employees Organization, 809 S. 5th St, Champaign, IL 61820
- Sign GEO’s petition to the Board of Trustees and the Administration
- Call and email Provost Cangellaris.
- GEO has a template you can use to email him: http://bit.ly/2FTcbZ1
- Provost Phone Number: 217-333-6677 – leave voicemail
- Provost Email: provost@illinois.edu
- Follow GEO on their website and social media. Share posts to help get their message out to the public, and add to the pressure on UIUC to work with GEO for a fair contract.
- Website: www.uigeo.org
- Twitter: @geo_uiuc
- Facebook: @uigeo @geosolcomm
- Instagram: @geo_uiuc
- Sign up for text updates to get up-to-date information about bargaining, protest actions, press releases, and other items.
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- Text “GEO” to 69238
