Tag: graduate employees organization

A man speaks into a megaphone in front of a university building. Two people hold a yellow sign that says "Graduate Employees Organization." The protest took place on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

University of Illinois students, unions launch campaign to ‘De-ICE’ campus contracts

Dozens of U of I students and workers gathered on campus Wednesday to demand the school cut ties with companies profiting from immigration enforcement.

Graduate students rally for better health care and higher wages at the University of Illinois

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.

University of Illinois graduate employees celebrate long-delayed contract

CHAMPAIGN—On a rainy Friday evening around 5 p.m., the Ikenberry dining hall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was quiet. That was until the sounds of clapping and people cheering filled the second floor. Members of the Graduate Employees’ Organization jumped around and hugged as news broke that they finally had a new contract. In

University of Illinois calls police on grad students protesting to keep mask requirements

CHAMPAIGN – The University of Illinois called police on a small graduate student worker protest on Wednesday and is threatening to suspend one or more participants. The Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) held the protest, in opposition to administration plans to relax campus-wide mask requirements. The university alleges one or more protesters kicked and shoved someone

‘I’m Very Scared And I’m Furious:’ U Of I Students, Workers And Faculty Criticize COVID-19 Response

URBANA – Graduate student workers, facilities and maintenance employees, professors and students at the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus criticized the institution’s response to COVID-19 during a virtual town hall Tuesday afternoon. The forum was hosted by the Campus Labor Coalition, a group of unions representing workers on campus. Those who spoke expressed a wide

Graduate Workers Union Presents Demands As U Of I Weighs Options For Fall 2020

URBANA – The union for graduate student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign wants most instruction to stay online through the fall semester — as a precaution against the coronavirus. U of I officials released a report last week produced by a university-appointed task force that outlines possible scenarios for the fall semester,

University Of Illinois Labor Unions Bargain For COVID-19 Relief

Labor unions across the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus are bargaining with administrators on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A group called the Campus Labor Coalition recently published an open letter to university administrators. The coalition represents graduate workers, faculty and other employees on the U of I campus. The coalition’s requests span issues

University Of Illinois Raises Student Health Insurance Premiums Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to increase health insurance premiums by more than 30 percent for students at its Urbana-Champaign campus. Beginning in the fall, undergraduate premiums will increase by almost $200 per semester, while premiums for graduate students will go up by about $230 per semester. The Graduate