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Sessions continue on GEO contract

Members of the Graduate Employees Organization have not ruled out striking despite their plans to enter into mediation with the University on April 10.

"If the contract isn't signed, the fight is still on," said GEO President Scott Dexter. "The fight can include work action, like a grade strike."

GEO and University members spent yesterday's bargaining session extending contracts to April 1 and discussing proposals about wages and international graduate student instructors.

Both parties have also debated on whether the University should pay international GSIs for their three-week summer training and give them free housing or health benefits.

Gamble said the University was not responsible for incoming international GSIs who have not actually taught classes.

"They come to the United States and take this training," he said. "The reason we can't write them into a contract is because they aren't covered by the contract."

GEO Bargaining Secretary Mike Sell said international GSIs were covered by the contract as soon as they were hired.

"For international GSIs, a conditional offer of employment is unethical and possibly illegal according to our contract and the law," Sell said.

Dexter agreed. "People are employees as soon as they receive and accept their hire. It is the same for American GSIs who accept a job in April and do training in the (summer)."

Gamble said the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the individual schools' deans.

"The deans agree it's serious and they want to look into it because (international GSIs) are graduate students," Gamble said.

"It's two sides looking at a problem from two different angles."

The Michigan Employment Relations Commission appointed a familiar face to both sides Tuesday. State mediator Charles Jamerison was assigned to the last contract mediation between the two parties.

Gamble said the purpose of mediation is to speed up the contract talks.

"A third person can get in there and help us out," Gamble said. "Normally, mediation is called for by one side or the other when they are at impasse. It's a step to get past the impasse."

Sell said mediation is "the tough part of the fight. The membership is getting antsy."

"No one wants to go into mediation because it isn't fun," Sell said.