As many of you are already know, CGE and OSU have signed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and its benefits are already being implemented before the contract’s actual ratification. While there have been some issues with the timing of the implementation of the benefits, such as fees being remitted only after the end of the drop/add period, feedback from members on the content of the contract has been overwhelmingly positive

For this and other reasons, the Bargaining Team and the Executive Council would urge members to approve the contract at our Ratification Meeting which begins on 12:15 PM Monday October 8th. The meeting will be held at Westminster House which is the Tudor looking building across from BrewStation at the intersection of 23rd and Monroe. Voting will be conducted by secret ballot and will be conducted over several days ending on October 11th at noon. While we wish both Full and Associate Members could vote to ratify the contract, for legal reasons only members in the bargaining unit can actually vote. If you’re unsure as to whether you are in or out of the bargaining unit, refer back to your letter of appointment which should tell you where you stand.

Keep in mind, if the contract is not approved by the membership, graduate employees will have to remit back all the benefits (fee relief, insurance premiums, etc.) that the university has extended to us. So even those who are unhappy with a particular detail with the contract, there are financial consequences that will likely cost you hundreds of dollars if members decide not to ratify the proposed contract. Also, if there are any portions of the contract you have questions about, feel free to contact your CGE rep, a member of the bargaining team, or a member of the executive council. The bargaining team is really excited about the contract we negotiated. Gains for graduate employees include a significant raise to the minimum salary, 85% coverage of all fees, 50% health insurance coverage for dependents, etc.  You can find more information here.  We’re recommending that the contract be ratified and would be happy to hear any suggestions for things to work on for bargaining 2014.

In Solidarity

The Bargaining Team