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Emergency Rally to Save Sonogram Services at McKinley!

Tuesday, December 16, Noon-1pm
Entrance to McKinley Health Center

Members of the GEO Healthcare Working Group just learned on Thursday of McKinley's plans to cease sonogram service by January 1, 2009.

We were lied to in our Labor Management meetings when HCWG members met with McKinley director Palinkis months ago about Women's Health at McKinley. We've had discussions specifically about the provision of the sonogram service, which we were concerned might disappear. He first claimed that the service was not in danger, and later in admitting that they were considering ceasing it, his argument was that students were not seeking sonograms at the same rate as previously - we later discovered that this was because doctors at McKinley were being directed to refer students to external sonogram services, rather than the service within the Center.

Now is the time to raise our voices! Removing sonograms signifies a lack of concern for women's health, and is part of a continued erosion of services for UIUC students that are already inadequate. We call upon McKinley administration to revisit its plans for the new year NOW, and in so doing, to hire a sonogram technician and retain its sonogram services for students.

Sonogram is the only reliable form of assessment screening available for ovarian cancer. While not perfect, it is being used for other diagnostics, and is recommended twice a year for women who have a family history of ovarian cancer.

Removing Sonogram service is another example of the University chiseling away preventative health care services available to students. In 2005 we saw the elimination of the prenatal medical program. Coverage for chronic illnesses, including prescriptions, dependent coverage, and catastrophic coverage have all been eroded. We saw it again in the summer of 2007 with the $5 co-pay on all prescriptions, without a maximum cost level. The lack of adequate coverage in these key areas have set graduate students and their families back thousands of dollars per year.

And in January women will take another hit unless we act now!

Demand that the McKinley administration retain health services for women students!

Click Here to Find Out What Else You Can Do!

GEO Bargaining Survey

Contract negotiations are just around the corner. The results from this survey will help the GEO Bargaining Committee develop a set of priorities which will become our Bargaining Platform. Member input and involvement will be critical for producing a fair contract for everyone.

The survey is anonymous unless you choose to leave your name for follow-up, and it takes less time than the Ethics Training! Make sure your friends take it too.

To get the survey link, contact the GEO office at geo(AT)uigeo.org or call 344-8283.

GEO 2002 Resolution on the "Chief"

Many students at the University of Illinois continue to promote the appropriation of stereotyped Native American imagery and culture as the University's mascot and cultural identity. Though University administrators, in 2007, made formal declarations that the dancing "Chief" and the phrase "Chief Illiniwek" would no longer have official status as University "symbols," they failed to educate students and community members about the many problems with this racist and demeaning imagery. In light of the student-planned "Next Dance" event taking place at the Assembly Hall this Saturday, we are re-posting the statement adopted by the GEO in 2002.

The Graduate Employees' Organization Resolution on "Chief Illiniwek"

Approved by the Steward's Council on June 10, 2002.

The Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) is committed to improving the working conditions of graduate employees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an organization dedicated to social justice, GEO has fought for the fair and non-discriminatory treatment of all graduate employees. GEO is opposed to the use of a race-based mascot and symbol that has proven offensive and detrimental to our members, the Urbana-Champaign community, and people across the nation. In particular, the continued use of "Chief Illiniwek" undermines the working conditions of graduate employees by:

1. Negatively affecting recruitment and retention of Native American graduate students and faculty. Graduate teachers and researchers are deterred from working in an environment where they can expect harassment and even threats, especially if they are active around Native American political issues like the "Chief."

2. Creating a hostile teaching environment in which the presence of the "Chief" undermines the academic mission of the university. The "Chief" is a pedagogical impediment for graduate instructors who teach topics relating to Native Americans and other non-white groups. Because the "Chief" promotes narrow and stereotypical understandings of race and Native American culture, it not only hinders efforts to discuss race and ethnicity academically, but also undermines efforts to foster ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity in the classroom.

3. Promoting a racist cultural climate on campus that impacts the lives of graduate employees in broader social and intellectual environments. For example, children of Native American graduate employees must attend a school system in the larger community where the "Chief's" image sanctions and encourages racial taunting. In addition, the "Chief" negatively affects our members' professional relationships with national and international academic associations, particularly those that focus on ethnicity and race. Further, we know that when one group is objectified, in this case Native Americans, other groups, such as international students, women, people of color, ethnic minorities, the differently-abled, and gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons, are more likely to experience similar abuses.

Mascots and representative symbols are meant to unite and inspire a group of self-identified people. The "Chief," no matter how well intentioned, does not act as a unifying symbol and actively creates division, ill will, intolerance, and hostility on campus and in the broader community. By abolishing the "Chief," the University of Illinois would remove a significant barrier to harmonious race relations on campus and improve the working conditions of graduate employees, faculty, and staff, and thereby improve the quality of undergraduate education.

In accordance with a unanimous vote at our April 29th, 2002 membership meeting, the GEO calls for the Board of Trustees to remove "Chief Illiniwek" as the mascot and symbol of the University of Illinois. Further, we urge the university to support and fund a Native American Studies program and establish a Native American Cultural House that would recruit and retain talented students, faculty, and staff. Furthermore, these programs would support efforts to teach critical awareness of race, and promote cultural understanding and help develop more harmonious race relations on the UIUC campus and in the broader community. By taking such steps, the University of Illinois will demonstrate its commitment to education, diversity, and serving all people of the state of Illinois.

Originally Posted June 10, 2002

General Membership Meeting

Wednesday, November 12, 5pm, YMCA
We'll be building on the knowledge we shared at the last two meetings
regarding bargaining. Also, our new bargaining survey will be kicked off
at the meeting!

If you have items you would like added to the agenda, email Dave Bates.

We will be having a Special Election to elect a new Communications Officer. Nominations for the position will be accepted through email, geo (AT) shout.net, and in person at the office or at the meeting. Voting will continue until November 14 (ballots in GEO office, 10am-6pm).

Proposed Constitutional Amendments must be submitted to a member of the Coordinating Committee no later than Monday, November 2.
Proposed Bylaws must be submitted to a member of the Coordinating Committee no later than Thursday, November 5.

Bargaining Bingo will follow the meeting!!

Photos from Rally for Quality Education

Thanks to everyone who made the Rally for Quality Education a success last Wednesday. Follow the links below to see photos:

First Album

Second Album