OVERVIEW:
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Wednesday, 5/27 at 5:30pm @ YMCA
The GEO is entering mediation with the Administration in an effort to get them talking about our contract proposals. Come along to the GMM to hear the latest news and get your questions answered. The Bargaining Team will be on-hand to explain mediation as a process, the unions goals for that process, and what you can do to help achieve them!
MEDIATION RALLY!
June 1 @8:30am @ Madigan Laboratory
You can help to get the Administration to focus on our contract proposals by organizing and attending the rally on the first day of mediation! Come to the GMM and help make signs, buttons, etc. for the rally. Then, join us at 8:30am outside Madigan Laboratory to send the Bargaining Team into mediation!
Don’t miss the opportunity to get updated, get informed about mediation
and make signs and buttons for the rally!
Please, make and effort to attend and spread the word!
Food will be provided.
DETAILS:
As always, please feel free to check out geocontract.org or email Dave Beck at dbeck@uigeo.org or Peter Campbell at odell.campbell@gmail.com if you have questions about mediation, the bargaining process, or anything else. Also, we encourage you to join our Facebook group and to invite your friends – search for “GEO.”
Hello Friends,
This is Peter Campbell, your communications officer. I’m writing to let you know about two very important upcoming events – a General Membership Meeting featuring featuring members of the bargaining team who will provide information about what it means to be in federal mediation and a rally during our first mediation session with the administration negotiating team. I’ll talk about the second event first.
1. RALLY FOR A CONTRACT: on Monday, June 1st, our bargaining team will meet with the administration team and a federal mediator for our first mediation session. We’ll be holding a rally outside the session at the Edward Madigan Research Laboratory at 8:30 am. Food, drinks, and solidarity will be provided.
During our previous contract negotiations, the presence of members rallying for a fair contract outside of the mediation sessions was vital to let both the administration and the mediator know that our membership would settle for nothing less than a fair contract. This time around, it is important that we let the administration know that as a union, we’re want to be able to move past mediation over ‘ground rules’ and get to discussing our contract proposals as soon as possible. So, please come to the rally, and bring other GEO members or friends who want to show their solidarity with our union! The more people that attend, the bigger the message we can send to the administration that we’re serious about wanting to negotiate our contract.
If you can make it to the rally, we encourage you to join the Facebook event page (if you need an invite, join the “GEO” Facebook group or email Peter at odell.campbell@gmail.com or Rich Potter at richpotter@warpmail.net). There will be coffee and donuts provided!
For more information on why we’re in mediation, what the dispute over ‘ground rules’ is all about, or any other questions, go to uigeo.org or email me at odell.campbell@gmail.com. You can also come to the next GMM -
2. GMM – Wednesday, May 27, 5:30 pm at the YMCA. This GMM will focus on providing information, answering questions on, and listening to YOUR views, concerns, and hopes regarding mediation and our overall bargaining process with the administration. There will also be organizing activities to prepare for the rally, including making signs and buttons.
The Bargaining Team will be on-hand to explain mediation as a process, the unions goals for that process, and what you can do to help achieve them! Right now we’re planning on going over four main points – each of these mini-presentations will take 3-5 minutes, leaving lots of time for questions and organizing.
A. “HOW WE GOT HERE?”
Summarize the first two bargaining sessions and explain how we reached the decision to go to mediation.
B. “WHAT DOES MEDIATION MEAN?”
Explain mediation as a process.
C. “WHAT DO WE WANT IN MEDIATION?”
Explain our position in mediation and our goals.
D. “WHAT CAN YOU DO?”
Explain what members can do to support mediation
E. Q&A
The GEO is, therefore, in need of organizers who will be part of a Summer Action Call List. We need e-mails, and phone numbers of people who will be on campus for all or part of the summer, and who are interested in supporting the bargaining team, by organizing, or showing up to picnics, rallies, etc.
If you are interested, please contact Mukta at muktatripathy@gmail.com or Lori at lserb@uigeo.org. Thanks very much for your support.
4. COMING SOON – Stay tuned for more updates about bargaining, as well as a GEO-L highlighting what we’ve accomplished as a union over the past school year.
Keep up the great work,
Peter