University of Michigan grad student employees ratify new deal after historic strike
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Members of the University of Michigan's Graduate Employees' Organization have ratified a new three-year contract with the administration, bringing a five-month strike to an end.
Members of the union rallied on campus on Friday before marching to Rackham Graduate School to hold a press conference.
The grad workers walked off the job on March 29, demanding a living wage and better benefits.
It was the longest work stoppage in both the union and the university's history.
Earlier this week, the student union authorized its bargaining members to approve a tentative agreement with the university. The union then held an online vote from Aug. 22-24 to ratify the contract.
"The vote was overwhelming, we had 97% voting to ratify the contract, which I think speaks to the unity of our workers and the consensus we've been able to build over the campaign," said GEO spokesperson Amir Fleischmann. "I think most of us are feeling good. This wins historic raises for Ph.D. students on the Ann Arbor campus."
The negotiations for a new contract lasted for nine months, and at one point, the university withheld pay.
"I was one of the many who lost their paycheck in April, unfortunately, but we as a membership felt it was really important to continue our fight because ultimately, we were fighting to be able to afford to live in Ann Arbor, being able to afford groceries, being able to afford rent, which I was struggling with at that time," said GEO rank and file member Meg Burt.
GEO's members slammed the university's conduct throughout the negotiation process.
"We demanded better from this university, and the administration responded with threats, retaliation, and bullying," said GEO President Jared Eno. "The most important, the most durable, and the most powerful part of the strike is the real workplace democracy the grad workers have built together."
Updates to the contract include:
- A 20% increase over three years for employees on the Ann Arbor campus
- A $1,000 signing bonus for workers on all three campuses
- Expanded gender-affirming benefits
- Up to three months of paid maternity leave
"Ratification of this new contract will help to assure a smooth start to the new academic year," U-M provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Laurie McCauley, said in a statement.
"These teams never gave up on finding a way to reach an agreement on a new three-year contract," U-M President Santa J. Ono said in a statement. "This contract allows U-M to stand out among our peers, and it is a contract that truly benefits our outstanding graduate student workers."