> Graduate Employees' Organization > 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL 61820 > Campus Mail: MC-390 > Phone: (217) 344-8283 Fax: (217) 344-8281 > http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/taunion > _________________________________________________ > > > News Release from the G.E.O. > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > July 17, 1997 > > Contact: > Dennis Grammenos; Treasurer, GEO; (217) 367-9144 > Ed Hertenstein; Co-president, GEO; (217) 328-5977 > > > Visiting Steelworkers Support Graduate EmployeesU Unionization > > URBANA - More than 200 rank-and-file members of the United Steelworkers > of America have been in town this week to participate in a labor > education program held at the University of Illinois. An unexpected part > of their education has been the discovery that the very university that > has been playing host to them has been fighting the unionization of its > graduate employees. > > GEO members distributed flyers to the steelworkers this week informing > them of the graduate employeesU drive to unionize. The flyer read in > part: "We want you to know about the hypocrisy of this university that > collects funding to host a labor education program while, at the same > time, it spends taxpayers' money to destroy [graduate employees'] > democratic right to a union." > > Many of the steelworkers have contacted the office of chancellor Michael > Aiken to express their dismay at what they termed "the administrationUs > union-busting tactics" and to call for the recognition of the GEO. > Steelworker Kat Dukes explained that she called Aiken's office and simply > demanded that the administration stop playing "silly games," referring to > the administrationUs insistence that graduate employees are just students > and not employees. "Graduate employees carry the weight of the > university on their shoulders and the administration should recognize > their right to unionize," she said. "Is this or is this not America?" > she asked. Charles Dale, another steelworker, expressed his surprise at > what he called Rthe ludicrous hypocrisyS of the university. RRecognize > the GEO," was his message for chancellor Aiken. "Graduate employees keep > this university going and they deserve fair treatment," he added. > > "Uplifting," was the word used by GEO member Dennis Grammenos to > characterized the outpouring of support from the steelworkers. "Graduate > employees are grateful for the solidarity shown by the steelworkers. We > had many who asked for extra flyers to take back to the steelmills to > distribute to fellow union workers, folks who are parents and tax-payers" > he said. > > ____________________________________________________ >
