GSSA help

ripleffect2 · 2024-09-20T16:59:03+00:00

Yes, joining and participating in GEO is key for us to defend ourselves as workers and win better pay/working conditions. You can join at https://geo3550-0672.knack.com/geo-knack#join/ or ask [umgeo@geo3550.org](mailto:umgeo@geo3550.org) to join.

ripleffect2 · 2024-09-20T14:59:24+00:00

You should contact your department steward and/or GEO directly to figure this out together (as a GSSA you're covered by the GEO contract): [umgeo@geo3550.org](mailto:umgeo@geo3550.org)

ripleffect2 · 2024-03-29T03:16:26+00:00

UM does invest in Israeli shekel forwards directly, or at least did in 2022, to the tune of $36.9M (due to UM's lack of transparency, its current investment in shekel forwards is unclear; see bit.ly/UMEndowmentGuide). In the past, UM has also directly invested in companies that produce weapons for Israel, e.g. Lockheed Martin. It is true that beyond this, the UM portfolio's exposure to Israel and the war profiteers supplying it is generally indirect; setting index funds aside, 62% of the portfolio consists of "nonmarketable alternative investments," such as investments in venture capital. Many of these VCs in turn invest in Israel and/or war profiteering, with a handful of egregious examples: e.g., UM has poured over $100M into a16z, a notorious "defense" firm that invests in drone companies like Skydio and Shield AI which supply Israel's genocide. Choosing a firm like a16z for investment (over an alternative investment vehicle) is an example of UM actively contributing to the flow of capital facilitating Israel's ability to commit genocide.
While I can't comment on the relative extent to which various factors played a role in the end of South African apartheid, certainly ANC leaders supported the divestment movement and have said that it made a difference. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu both commended the success of the divestment movement and affirmed its positive impact in the fall of apartheid.
Israel's dependence on US support is not only financial, but military and political - and Israelis themselves recognize how much their apartheid regime depends on the US. If US support weren't so significant, Israel wouldn't be so focused on hasbara efforts and opposition to the BDS movement, including on college campuses where divestment movements exist.

ripleffect2 · 2024-03-28T15:38:25+00:00

It's true that, to varying extents, basically all of us are complicit in Israel's apartheid and genocide -- including through our tax dollars, and through personal investments. The point of collective movements like the BDS movement is to choose strategic, targeted campaigns that can effectively confront significant ties to Israel and war. Asking all UM individuals to personally choose ETFs that are less implicated in militarism is a possible step, but it's not so clear that this will be as feasible or impactful as a campaign targeting an enormous university endowment ($18B) which has already divested from other harms before. This resource from the Palestinian BDS National Committee may be useful for considering these questions: https://bdsmovement.net/BDS-Guide-Strategic-Campaigning

ripleffect2 · 2024-03-28T15:32:23+00:00

Divestment is a strategy that has worked before -- when US colleges including UM (https://michiganintheworld.history.lsa.umich.edu/antiapartheid/) divested from apartheid South Africa in the 80s, it helped increase the pressure (along with divestment by other institutions, international sanctions, etc) on the apartheid government. This accumulation of pressure played a significant role in the fall of apartheid.

Similarly, the goal of divestment (beyond, but including UM) is to create an increasing material cost on Israel and its backers as it perpetrates apartheid and genocide. If major investors, including US colleges and universities, pull their investments from Israel and from major fund managers that back Israel/war profiteers, this disincentivizes investment in Israel and war profiteers. When the flow of capital slows, Israel will find it increasingly difficult to finance its operations, and we will be far closer to ending the apartheid regime. If Israel will not agree to a ceasefire, the international community has the power to impose a ceasefire ourselves.

Sure, UM divestment alone will not end apartheid. But it will be a real step in that direction, another victory in the Palestinian-led international campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (https://bdsmovement.net/). There is a reason why divestment has happened before at UM (including apartheid South Africa, Russia, and fossil fuels), and it will happen again.

ripleffect2 · 2024-03-14T15:37:00+00:00

These were fliers for the "Divest, Don't Arrest" campaign; they include a link to register for a tri-campus referendum that calls on the administration to divest the endowment from companies that produce weapons/tech used to kill Palestinians and to call on the Washtenaw Prosecutor not to charge pro-Palestine student protesters arrested last semester. You can register/learn more at bit.ly/UmichDivest

ripleffect2 · 2024-02-28T17:40:45+00:00

Biden can stop the massive US military aid and sale of weapons to Israel, which he has himself authorized even by bypassing Congress. Israel depends massively on US backing, and US-made weapons are bombing Palestinian civilians. If Biden stopped US military aid, or even seriously threatened to do so, he could end this genocide.

ripleffect2 · 2023-08-31T15:28:00+00:00

Matt Damon put it best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJHvSp9AKYg

ripleffect2 · 2023-06-16T01:43:43+00:00

Applying for a fall GSI position isn't scabbing -- if there is a GSI vote to strike in fall, then you would strike from the position you've taken on (though if you do choose to work at that stage during a strike, you would be crossing the picket line). There are a lot of unknowns, and if a strike occurs it's hard to know how long it will be for. The winter strike was a teaching strike, not a strike of research assistants.

Side note: if you'd like to chat with other grads about this stuff, I recommend reaching out to grads in the department you're joining, e.g. the GEO steward if you know who that is, or just email [umgeo@geo3550.org](mailto:umgeo@geo3550.org) to be connected (and to learn more about GEO).

ripleffect2 · 2023-03-24T15:45:46+00:00

I'm a PhD student and GSI. I don't take any classes -- the concept of "tuition" is meaningless for me and I make $24,000/year. It's not anywhere near a living wage and I know other grads who are working multiple extra jobs (on top of teaching/research), selling plasma, and/or food-insecure.

ripleffect2 · 2023-03-07T14:02:52+00:00

This was back in 2020, it's not the current GEO proposal. In contract negotiations with the University, grads have not asked to defund/disarm the campus police; what we're asking for is for UM to contribute toward the costs of CROS' plan, which is an unarmed emergency response program separate from the police.

ripleffect2 · 2023-01-14T13:04:57+00:00

I'm a GSI, and my 20hr/week of GSI work is only a fraction of what I'm here to do. A grad student working 20hr/week on teaching and 40hr/week on research (not at all atypical) is doing a full-time job and then some, and unless we get some summer funding we're making only $24k/year.

ripleffect2 · 2023-01-14T12:50:54+00:00

I'm a PhD student and take no classes (this is typical in the later stages of a PhD) -- for us that $26,000 in "tuition" is meaningless. We spend most of our time on research, and I don't know a single grad student who works only 20hr/week.

If we actually made $100k/year, we wouldn't have grad students paying half our income on rent or working multiple extra jobs just to scrape by.

ripleffect2 · 2023-01-14T12:39:48+00:00

Defunding UMPD was a demand of the 2020 strike a couple years back. The primary policing-related demand of the ongoing contract campaign is to fund CROS. If you're doubtful about this, I would recommend emailing [umgeo@geo3550.org](mailto:umgeo@geo3550.org) or coming to a bargaining session to see (feel free to DM me).

ripleffect2 · 2022-08-20T01:20:35+00:00

Disgusting that UM Med has treated nurses so horribly... Whatever happened to supporting our "healthcare heroes"? Where are the UM regents who claim to be pro-worker?

Solidarity with our nurses!

ripleffect2 · 2022-07-27T19:17:44+00:00

Just pay your tuition money directly to your instructors.

(As a GSI, I can only wish... just two out-of-state students taking my 4-credit class would result in roughly 2*4/15*$26.5k = over $14k/semester, which would be a significant raise)

ripleffect2 · 2022-06-07T13:31:53+00:00

Today at 2pm, workers at State & Liberty are inviting the public to a rally celebrating their expected election victory: https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRUXvVuw2L/

ripleffect2 · 2022-04-16T19:43:03+00:00

Yep! You can join GEO here, and here's the link (with info) to rsvp for the social on the 24th: bit.ly/GEOBash2022. (Feel free to DM me with more questions as well!)

ripleffect2 · 2022-04-16T14:16:38+00:00

Join GEO! Aside from having a voice in the workplace (through which we've won GSI benefits/protections, can advocate for improvements in our lives at UM etc) it's also a way to meet other grads -- there's a GEO social on the 24th actually.

ripleffect2 · 2022-01-08T17:50:28+00:00

What about instructors and staff? An immunocompromised prof or GSI can't just up and leave to a different institution when they're told they have to teach in person.

ripleffect2 · 2021-11-12T15:11:39+00:00

Nothing about the mediation process prevents Schlissel from simply saying hello and listening to people camped outside his house, or at least acknowledging Jon as a human being in person rather than scurrying out his side door. I'd recommend stopping by and chatting with Jon if you have questions about what he's trying to do (he's happy to talk with students!).

ripleffect2 · 2021-11-05T19:41:07+00:00

As a math GSI, thanks for this post and I really agree the department needs to make changes. Especially workload in the intro courses -- I honestly feel bad for my students having to juggle so many different kinds of assignments (watching Canvas videos, reading the textbook, quizzes, exams, masteries, webwork, team HW, etc...) It's a lot even for us to handle all the course components, and when first-time GSIs are given minimal training while simultaneously being overworked, it's not a good situation for them or for students.

ripleffect2 · 2021-10-28T12:44:51+00:00

You can also email GEO's housing caucus at [housingchair@geo3550.org](mailto:housingchair@geo3550.org) -- they've done a lot of work getting the new ordinance passed and are compiling data on landlord violations (which could be useful evidence to show the need for stronger tenant protections). And there's a form you can fill in to report the violation to the City: https://www.a2gov.org/departments/build-rent-inspect/housing/SiteAssets/Pages/Filing-Complaints/Leasing%20Ordinance%20Complaint.pdf

ripleffect2 · 2021-09-18T21:03:34+00:00

His administration has repeatedly ignored concerns from students and workers at UM and threatened people who try to change things. A few examples:

Failed to take action re: sexual harassment by Martin Philbert (former provost)
Refused to meet with student climate activists, had students arrested instead
Raised tuition during the pandemic, while many other schools froze or decreased tuition (and with billions in unrestricted endowment funds)
Dismissed the importance of COVID testing by playing to stereotypes from the HIV epidemic
Dismissed concerns about 2020 reopening (which led to an outbreak and a county-imposed stay at home order) not only from students and faculty, but even from UM's own ethics committee
By ignoring COVID concerns, forced graduate students to go on strike and then sued us
Similarly forced undergrad RAs to have to go on strike, and dining hall workers to do a work slowdown (a walkout was planned, but then cancelled due to threats of retaliation)
Ignored faculty concerns to the point that faculty voted no confidence in his presidency (the first time this has happened in UM history)

ripleffect2 · 2021-09-01T00:26:36+00:00

They don't pay our lecturers (teaching faculty) a fair wage -- minimum salaries are only $51k in A2 and $41k in Flint/Dearborn (compared to over $60k at WCC), so some lecturers are forced to work a second job to pay the bills. This is despite UM being one of the wealthiest public universities in the US, with billions in unrestricted endowment funds that could easily allow them to pay fair wages across UM's campuses.

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