Illinois Student Senate
Senate Resolution 11.04.2009.03
Solidarity

By Senators Carey Hawkins Ash, Vice-President Internal, Robert D. Gregg, IV, and Megan Haselschwerdt

With the Support of Senator Carlos D. Rosa

Whereas, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a land grant public institution, is accountable to the citizens of the State of Illinois and has a responsibility to provide access to high quality higher education for all, and

Whereas, teaching and graduate assistants (TAs and GAs) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign contribute indispensable labor to the University, and

Whereas, among these contributions are the teaching nearly one-fourth (1/4) of all undergraduate course hours, the leading over forty percent (40%) of all one hundred level classes, the instruction of one-third (1/3) of undergraduate course hours in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the maintenance of campus facilities such as health centers, libraries, theaters, museums, recreational centers, and specialized academic units, and

Whereas, based on the above, the sustained labor of graduate employees is paramount to the maintenance of this campus’ stellar reputation for teaching and research, and

Whereas, since April 21, 2009, the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO)—the union legally empowered to represent TAs and GAs—has been negotiating with University Administrators, who represent the Board of Trustees, for an employment contract for its membership, and

Whereas, the Illinois Student Senate, speaking on behalf of the Student Body, voted on April 29, 2009 to support in principle several ideals advanced by members of the graduate community that are currently being deliberated in contract negotiations, and

Whereas, the more than two-thousand, seven hundred (2,700) graduate students represented by the GEO have been working under an expired contract for the entirety of the Fall 2009 semester, and

Whereas, on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, the GEO called for a strike authorization vote amongst its general membership which, if affirmative, would establish a strike committee to organize a potential work action, and

Whereas, the withholding of labor by the GEO membership in part or in whole during the final weeks of this semester would result in a significant reduction in class instruction, greatly diminish the progress of numerous discussion sections, restrict the advancement of research efforts, and drastically increase the academic burden borne by our already heavily laden faculty, and

Whereas, it is the belief of the Illinois Student Senate that the negative press surrounding stalled negotiations that lead to  a student-led strike at this time would further damage the reputation of our tier-one research institution as we seek to recover from the stigma of the recent  admissions controversy, and

Whereas, at the same time, this body further acknowledges and supports in principle the peaceful exercising of the rights, privileges, and freedoms granted to those students who would strike in compliance with federal regulations and the Illinois Public Relations Labor Act, and

Whereas, this body further holds that such students should be able to exercise such liberties without fear of retribution from the University Administration or the agents thereof, and

Whereas, the Illinois Student Senate has taken no stance for or against a strike by the members of the Graduate Employees’ Organization,

Therefore, be it resolved, that the Illinois Student Senate, the official voice of the Student Body of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, does hereby urge and request the several departments of the University to hold harmless and withhold retribution from those  members of the University community, whether part of the bargaining unit or not, who would choose to participate in a potential work action, out of respect for their constitutionally and statutorily guaranteed rights and freedoms, and

Be it further resolved, that the Illinois Student Senate does further urge and request the Academic Senate to stand in solidarity with the Student Body as we call upon both the University Administration and the GEO to advance to a timely and fair resolution in regards to the ongoing contract negotiation process and

Be it further resolved, that the Illinois Student Senate further urges the Academic Senate to support the forgoing tenets in a resolution passed by its membership, and then to distribute such to the greater University Community, and    

Be it finally resolved, that copies of this resolution be delivered to the Members of the Academic Senate..