Stewards Council

Posted on May 4, 2011 by GEU

The Stewards’ Council is GEU’s governing body. Every department is entitled to at least one Steward, who helps make GEU decisions, communicates GEU information to their Department, and keeps the rest of GEU updated on what’s going on in their Department. Stewards’ Council meets once a week or once every two weeks for an hour, with a meal provided.

With the changing semester, some of our old Stewards are leaving for bigger and better things. That means we need new Stewards!

If you don’t know who your Department’s Steward is, chances are there isn’t one. So come aboard! Email geu@geuatmsu.org to let us know you’re interested in signing up!

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New Contract for 2011-2015!

Posted on April 28, 2011 by GEU

The GEU members ratified the tentative agreement reached by the Bargaining Team and representatives of the MSU administration (94% in favor, 3% opposed, 3% abstained).

The new contract, once ratified by the MSU Board of Trustees, will take effect May 16 2011 and remain in effect until May 15 2015. Below are the highlights. Click here for a more detailed list of negotiated changes.

  • ECONOMICS
    • Stipends: 1.5% lump first year, 2%/2%/1% increases subsequent years
    • Dental: New plan with Delta Dental
      • $257 annual premium, 50% paid by MSU
      • 100% coverage, no deductible, no co-pay on preventative care
      • 80% coverage after deductible on oral surgery and crowns
      • Spouse/OEI eligible to enroll
      • Over 90% of dentists in Michigan are in-network; there is also a nationwide network
    • Health Care
      • Elimination of pre-existing conditions clause
      • Increase in per-injury/per-illness cap to $250,000
      • Increase in prescription cap to $25,000
      • Increase in spouse/child contributions to $2200/$2300/$2400/$2500
      • Elimination of cap on OEI enrollment
    • Tuition Waiver
      • Creation of a 100 credit annual fund for TAs with required credits over 9/9/5
      • Establishment of a joint workgroup to improve the coverage and cost-effectiveness of the tuition waiver
    • College of Engineering Fees: deferred by two months
  • NON-ECONOMICS
    • Parking: Retained in contract
    • Workload: notification of changes to class size, inclusion of travel time as work
    • TA-Specific Evaluation (SIRS)
    • Full access to workspace
    • Access to confidential meeting space
    • Right to miss work for Martin Luther King Day
    • Clarification of extended bereavement leave
    • Update in parental leave language
    • Update in anti-harassment language
    • Improvements to and continuing GEU input on Appointment Letters
    • Inclusion of GEU on SIAG
    • Clarification of timekeeping procedures
    • Notification to GEU of terminations
  • MISCELLANY
    • Appointment periods, covering summer
    • Dues authorization cards with offers of employment
    • Monthly to biweekly
    • When people don’t get paid, we go to the state
Posted in Contract Negotiations, News | 1 Comment

Appointment letters, summer credits, etc.

Posted on April 24, 2011 by GEU

Summer is here, which means it’s time to take a look at what our 2008-2011 contract says about a couple of issues.

Appointment Letters: If you applied to teach in the Summer, you should have received your Summer Appointment Letter by March 31. If you didn’t receive such a letter, your department owes you two weeks’ pay. Letters for next Fall were due April 22. Contact us (geu@geuatmsu.org) if you haven’t gotten your letter yet! If your department gave out blanket nos, let us know about that, too.

Summer Credits: If you taught in Fall 2010 and in Spring 2011, and you’re taking classes (but not teaching) this Summer, you should get the in-state tuition rate. That’s about $500 per credit-hour. Check your tuition statement and make sure you’re not paying the out-of-state rate!

 

Remember to vote in our Contract Ratification and Officer elections! Check your spam filter if you didn’t get those ballots already.

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Vision Insurance is back!

Posted on April 21, 2011 by GEU

It’s open enrollment time for the vision plan provided through the MSU Unions. Click here for rate information, plan details and enrollment instruction. Enrollment runs through May 30, 2011 for a July 1, start date.

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GEU’s Tentative Agreement with the University

Posted on April 17, 2011 by GEU

As you may have heard, our Bargaining Team tentatively settled with the University early Friday morning.  At Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, Vice-President Andrew Cooper thanked the University for coming to a compromise with us, and reminded them that we are an important part of the University’s mission.

GEU members will have an opportunity to vote whether or not to accept this Tentative Agreement.

If the members (and the MSU Board of Trustees) vote to approve the Tentative Agreement, it will become a Contract. If they vote not to approve the Tentative Agreement, the GEU Bargaining Team will head back to the table to continue negotiating on behalf of the GEU members. A failure to ratify means that all tentative agreements are void and the negotiations begin anew.

In either case, we need your full support as GEU members and your presence at GEU events, meetings, and actions.

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, we will be having a Membership Meeting to discuss the Agreement. Please come and lend your voice to the conversation. GEU is you.

WHAT: GEU Membership Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, April 19, 6:00pm
WHERE: Anthony Hall 1279
RSVP at the facebook event: http://www.facebook.co/event.php?eid=108575645895537

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1300 TAs, 13 hours… 1 New Contract

Posted on April 15, 2011 by GEU

After a 13 hour marathon bargaining session last night, the two bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement on a new teaching assistant contract. Nothing is final, however, until ratification by the MSU Board and the GEU members.

Stay tuned for details… and plan to attend the General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, April 19th, 6:00pm, 1279 Anthony Hall.

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GEU at the Board of Trustees

Posted on April 14, 2011 by GEU

WHAT: GEU at the Board of Trustees
WHERE: Admin Building, 4th floor
WHEN: Friday, April 15, 9:30 am

As Sam mentioned in the last post, our Bargaining Team and officers burned some midnight oil last night in an attempt to get our contract finished–something the University says is their priority.

It didn’t go so well, so we’re going to be bargaining again tonight. Please stop by and spend a few minutes at our vigil. The Bargaining Team really needs our support right now. We’ll be in the office from 5pm.

If bargaining doesn’t conclude successfully tonight, I will be addressing the Board of Trustees about our concerns. Please come to the Board meeting and show your support. The Trustees need to see that we’re an important part of this University, and your presence at the Board meeting is a very good signal of that.

I hope I can count on your support. See you Thursday night and Friday morning!

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Bargaining Update #9

Posted on April 14, 2011 by GEU

The GEU bargaining team and the University team met for 8 hours last night, but more than 7 hours of this time was spent in separate caucuses rather than at the negotiating table. No final agreement was reached as the University side failed to bring forth a comprehensive counterproposal to the Union’s previous offer.

Another evening session has been scheduled for tonight at the Nisbet building. Stop by the GEU office for updates as they come in from the bargaining room, and to show your support for the Bargaining Team.

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Letter in State News About TA Benefits

Posted on April 14, 2011 by GEU

Stephen Boona is a graduate student from Chemical Engineering and Material Science. Read is recent letter to the editor, published in the State News.

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Bargaining BBQ and Capitol Rally – April 13th

Posted on April 7, 2011 by GEU

Graduate students from across the state of Michigan will be coming to the area for the rally at the Capitol on April 13th, 12:00 to 6:00. We are inviting everyone to stop by beforehand to support the GEU Bargaining Team at the Nisbet building (ground zero of our negotiations), on the corner of Harrison & Crescent in southwest campus. (Parking is available and we’ll have quarters for meters, if needed.)

We’ll be grilling hot dogs and veggie dogs, so enjoy a free meal and lend your support before heading to the Capitol. The GEU team will be bargaining the final few issues — stipends and tuition waivers. They’re scheduled to negotiate with the University from 4:00 into the evening, as long as it takes!!! Come out, show your support and give them the energy to seal the deal.

WHAT: Bargaining BBQ (with people heading to the big Capitol rally afterward)
WHEN: Wednesday, April 13, 12:00 – 2:00

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