URBANA — The Graduate Employees Union at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is asking for higher wages and better health care coverage. Dozens of people gathered on the South Quad Thursday to protest ahead of a bargaining session with campus administrators.
GEO leaders say the U of I administration increased health care costs without notice, which puts a significant burden on graduate workers and ultimately causes the quality of education provided at the U of I to suffer.
“The university charges a lot of tuition for people to come here to get supposedly a world-class education. But if the grad students teaching don’t have the health care that they need, then they can’t deliver on that education. So we need the university to give us a fair contract,” said Arthur Paganini, a U of I graduate student and co-chair of the GEO Stewards’ Council.
In an emailed statement, U of I spokesman Patrick Wade said the university is committed to facilitating continued access to quality health care for graduate student employees.
He said the current program “remains affordable and is consistent with the terms of the existing collective bargaining agreement.”
The protesters walked from McFarland Memorial Bell Tower to Ikenberry Commons, chanting “What do we want? Fair Proposal! When do we want it? Now! If we don’t get it? Shut it down!”
In addition to better health care coverage, Paganini said the GEO wants higher wages. He’s also concerned about threats to federal funding under the Trump administration and the potential impacts on graduate workers.
The rally was organized in partnership with the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition.
Eben Alguire is a teaching assistant professor in the College of Fine Arts and chief steward of the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition. They said they support collective action and want to ensure everyone is treated fairly, and “that we aren’t being tricked or shuttled away so that the University can save some money,” noting the large disparity between the highest-paid and lowest-paid workers on campus.
The situation has been exacerbated by federal funding cuts to higher education and research, which have already led to job losses for researchers on campus, including at the Soybean Innovation Lab.
A press release from the GEO released ahead of Thursday’s demonstration says graduate employees across campus have been informed that their positions will not be renewed for the next academic year.
Alguire said that at the bargaining table, U of I administrators have failed to present proposals that adequately address their concerns.
“We are excited to see what GEO can win, what they can bargain for themselves,” Alguire said. “You’re never going to get everything you want in bargaining… you push for what you need… and we’re here to support them.”