Graduate employees have been working without a contract since August, as the University offered regressive proposals in response to the union’s call for a living wage, protection for tuition waivers, and improved conditions for families. In recent meetings, as the threat of a strike has increased, the GEO has reached tentative agreements on a number of items, but the administration continues to refuse both a living wage and a guarantee that tuition waivers will continue to be a condition of employment. [The University tried to unilaterally remove waivers from those on 25% appointments earlier this year.]

Call Interim Provost Robert Easter and new BoT chair Christopher Kennedy this Wednesday, and urge them to reach a fair contract with the GEO. Then pass this message to colleagues and friends.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 11

WHERE TO CALL:
Interim Provost Easter: (217) 244-4545
Christopher Kennedy: (312) 527-7890 x7890

WHAT TO SAY:
It’s useful if you can put your message in your own words, but the following provides a basic template for you to use. (My text suggests leaving a message, but if you can talk directly with these men, even better.) Remember, what’s most important is that the message of support for the GEO position be communicated to administrators.

Hello, my name is __________. I’m a graduate of the University of Illinois, and I’d like to leave a message for [Provost Easter/Mr Kennedy.]

I want to urge him to reach a fair agreement with the Graduate Employees Organization, and ensure that graduate employees, who teach a quarter of classes at the University, receive a living wage.

Thank you.

OTHER POINTS YOU MAY WANT TO USE:
Graduate employees have voted for strike action, but there is still time to avoid that if the administration engages positively with the wage concerns of those employees.

The campus budget grew by 7% in FY09, but the percentage devoted to instruction grew by only 0.8%. I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that the university lives up to its responsibilities as a land grant institution that serves the public good and is committed to high quality instruction and research.

The public higher education system has a responsibility to ensure accessibility to all. The GEO’s requests for  a living wage, secured tuition waivers, better health care, and better support for working parents, would increase access to graduate education and would also improve the quality of instruction and research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Last year I was invited to speak to La Casa about my thoughts, and I’m doing the same again this year, in an event co-sponsored by the Asian American Cultural Center, the Office of Women’s Programs, the African American Cultural Center and the Office of LGBT Resources. If you’re in the Urbana-Champaign area, feel free to come by Monday (25 February) at 12pm. (La Casa Cultural Latina is at 1203 W Nevada.) If you can’t be there you may still be interested in a statement I issued last year, which is once again to be published in the Daily Illini by the Office of the Dean of Students – I’ll add a link to that later today. 

Come out to help raise money for our beloved station’s tower by participating in Tower Trivia Night this coming Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Esquire Lounge in Downtown Champaign. For those you unfamiliar with The Esquire has good food and drinks prices, and free bowls of peanuts.
Win Cool prizes, Concert Tickets, T-Shirts!!
Come out and have fun, Thursday basically the Weekend!!! Come play as team or just by yourself and show off you trivia prowess. Limit 4 people per team.
Team registration begins at 7:30pm and Trivia at 8:00pm.
There is $4 donation to the Raise the Tower campaign to play and you must be 21+ years old.
Tell your friends and family to come out for the fun. 

If you’re in or around the Urbana-Champaign area, please do come to one or both events and help out. WRFU is one of the main IMC projects facilitating participation in media production in our community – at any time close to 100 people are included in our programming schedule, with a large variety of approaches and background. If you’re not in town you can make a donation online.With regard to A Critical Ear, my co-host Bob Naiman and I have a variety of ideas for continuing to develop the show. Bob, of course, works with Just Foreign Policy and his knowledge and analysis of US foreign policy is second to none, allowing us to bring both comprehensive information and a sophisticated critique to our listeners. A number of weeks ago we tried out the WRFU telephone interface, including a number of live phone interviews in the show, which worked quite well, and I subsequently made them available online for download. We’re hoping to do more of both phone interviews and subsequent online content in the future, and I’ll announce such downloading opportunities here. In the meantime, if you have ideas as to how to improve the show (if you’ve listened to it) or general tips for us, please do include them below in the comments, or by email direct to me.,