Chicagoans Show Solidarity With Striking Grad Students in Champaign
Members of the Chicago Teachers Union, unionized graduate employees of UIC, and others marched to show solidarity with striking University of Illinois graduate students in Champaign on Tuesday. The Graduate Employees Organization, which represents some 2,700 grad students that teach undergraduates, have been on strike since February 26th, fighting for better wages, tuition wavers, and a fair contract. “We made it clear that our strike is strong and we are not backing down from our position: if you are employed doing bargaining unit work, you receive full compensation per our contract, including a full tuition waiver, regardless of what department you are employed by or study in,” the GEO wrote in a statement. The striking workers in Champaign occupied the school President’s office Tuesday evening, spreading out sleeping bags and hanging posters that read “Fund Education First" and "Fair Wages for Grad Labor." (Sun-Times) (Tribune)