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GEO, 'U' hammer out tentative agreement

Bargaining teams for the Graduate Employees Organization and the administration reached a tentative contract agreement yesterday. Negotiations between the two sides began Oct. 31 and concluded at about 1:30 a.m. yesterday with the assistance of a state-appointed mediator.

Both parties said the 24 changes to the current contract are the most agreements ever signed into a contract between the administration and GEO.

"We've approved more proposals than ever before. We've set a record," University chief negotiator Dan Gamble said. "That's the reason it took a lot of time."

GEO spokesperson Pete Church agreed. "It is the highest number of tentative agreements signed into a contract," he said. "The union identified a number of issues at the very beginning we wanted to fight for, and we fought for them."

The union's last three contracts have all been resolved by Charles Jamerson, a mediator for the state.

Church said the tentative contract agreement must be ratified by a majority of the union's membership before it will be officially accepted. If approved, the three-year contract will go into effect Sept. 1, Church said.

"The contract will be discussed in a membership meeting next week," Church said. "It is waiting for membership ratification."

Gamble said the process should take about 10 days because members usually vote on agreements by mail. He has participated in bargaining with GEO since 1981, when GEO and the adminstration signed their second contract.

Vice President for University Relations Walter Harrison said the parties reached an agreement through compromise.

"Like most negotiations, each side seems to have given a little and taken a little," Harrison said. "We're all very relieved to have bargaining behind us, and we look forward to our relationship with GEO."

One compromise stems from the tentative agreement stems from two unfair labor practice suits that GEO filed last week and the administration's decision to withhold pay from participants in this week's two-day work stoppage. GEO agreed to drop the charges and the administration agreed not to discipline participating employees.

The major terms include a minimum 2.5-percent wage increase and a $700 fellowship for international graduate student instructors during their three-week summer training.

"This is a good contract, but it still doesn't guarantee a living wage for our members, and some of them will still have to take a second job to make ends meet," said John Curtiss, GEO bargaining team member.

Gamble said the administration could not grant a higher percentage wage increase because it is hard to predict next year's budget.

"The further you project in a three-year agreement, you get more conservative because you don't know about funding," Gamble said. "You do know faculty will get the best increases that we can give."

GEO chief bargainer Karen Miller said the fellowship for international GSI training showed progress in the contract.

"Seven hundred dollars for IGSIs will make a huge difference," Miller said. "Our previous contract has a 3-percent raise. This contract is likely to be an improvement on that."

The agreement also mandates written policies on hiring, notification of job availability and same-sex domestic partner health benefits. Three new committees with both GEO and administrative representatives were created to address concerns about affirmative action, international GSIs and graduate student teaching.

Both sides agreed that the formation of the three committees could impact the relationship between GEO and the administration.

"The neat thing in having committees is that the union will have a real voice in policy changes over the term of the contract and not just during negotiations," Church said.

"It will provide more of an opportunity for the University and GEO to work together on problems," Gamble said. "If we have a spirit of cooperation, maybe we'll get to know each other better."

Gamble said it took six months to bargain because of the number of proposals as well as the issues the proposals addressed.

"Many of their issues are social issues, and social issues take longer to deal with," Gamble said. "That says something about the group. It's a compassionate group."