UIC Graduate Students Return to Classroom After Three-Week Strike

(via the Chicago Tribune)

After three weeks, teaching and graduate assistants at the University of Illinois at Chicago have ended their strike after reaching a tentative agreement with the administration for a new contract, union leaders announced Friday afternoon.

Jeff Schuhrke and Anne Kirkner, co-presidents of the Graduate Employees Organization, said they have a three-year contract proposal to be reviewed and voted on by the union’s more than 1,500 members. The contract would secure pay raises, slash mandatory fees and reduce costs for university-provided health care.

Union members continued their strike Friday after the two sides could not immediately finalize an agreement allowing the graduate student workers, who had been on strike since March 19, to return to work without being docked pay.

The two sides settled that issue after another bargaining session Friday afternoon, according to union leaders, who said their members have agreed to return to work Monday.

“The settlement forbids retaliation for participation in the strike and it allows TAs and GAs the opportunity to make up any work hours they missed during the strike by May 3rd,” GEO leaders posted on Facebook.

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