Coming off last April's contract battle and a summer's vacation, the Graduate Employees Organization set forth its new goals and initiatives this weekend at a conference of graduate employee unions.
Representatives from the University of Illinois, the University of Kansas and the University of Oregon coalesced at the Michigan League on Saturday to exchange ideas and develop mobilization techniques to show solidarity among graduate employee unions.
"We are stronger than we've ever been," said GEO President Michelle Mueller. "We don't have a contract battle looming, so we can work on other projects we think are important."
Mueller said separate committees have been established to address affirmative action issues, international graduate students and the training process.
Phil Kugler, assistant to the president for organization and field services at the American Federation of Teachers, said the biggest challenge graduate student employees face is university opposition.
"A lot of universities regard grad students as students, not faculty," Kugler said. "A lot of graduate students have indicated their interest to form a union, but universities will fight it in court. This costs thousands of dollars."
Last April, following a two-day walk-out and hours of contract negotiations, GEO members successfully changed their title from teaching assistant to graduate student instructor.
It also succeeded in gaining a salary increase of at least 2.5 percent in the next three years, and a $700 fellowship for summer training for international graduate student instructors.
But the problems between the administration and GSIs have not entirely disappeared.
Mueller also said half dozen grievances have already been filed through its grievance committee since the school year began.
"The administration seems to like to ridicule us when we complain, but they're fights we can fight," Mueller said.
One of the grievances is the removal of mailboxes for GSIs in the sociology department.
Mueller said she did not think violations have increased, but that more people are aware of GEO.
"We had 76-percent membership last year. We're trying to aim high and get 90 percent this year," Mueller said.
Conference attendees also brainstormed and planned for a nationwide day of action for next Feb. 27 to show solidarity among graduate students.
The day of action is a move to demonstrate the right of graduate employee unions to organize and to fight for a living wage and health care.