This Week at the Table: A GEO3550 Podcast
by GEO3550
Grad workers at the University of Michigan are bargaining for their 2026-29 contract and fighting for job security, safety, and autonomy in the workplace. Hear from GEO members, our bargaining team, and labor allies about the latest updates from the bargaining table!
Episodes
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September 26, 2026: Recap + Looking Ahead to GEO's Week of Action
On September 18, 2026, graduate workers in the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) met with Academic Human Resources (AHR)—whose minds and bodies were representing the will and interests of the governing Regents of the University of Michigan—for the 19th time (or 24th time if you count the 5...
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May 1, 2026: Grad workers pass crucial demands, HR returns them fully crossed out
Welcome back to the podcast! During our brief hiatus in podcasting, negotiations with Academic HR at the University of Michigan continued apace, with workers in the Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) passing over transformative contract demands based on our actual experiences and conditions...
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March 20, 2026: Back at the Table
After four months of ineffective shuttle bargaining, HR representatives refusing to negotiate over ground rules, and a state mediator-mandated 28-day pause on negotiations, GRAD WORKERS ARE BACK AT THE BARGAINING TABLE—WITH HR FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE NOVEMBER! University of Michigan graduate...
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February 13, 2026: Graduate workers strengthen commitment to open bargaining after HR and MERC shut down bargaining
After last week’s peaceful and silent delivery of letters to U-M’s bargaining team asking them to come to the table to discuss grad workers’ and community members' concerns around ICE and campus safety, HR yet again refused to discuss these demands face-to-face. We planned a picket highlighting…
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February 6, 2026: Grad workers react to HR slamming door on our faces—but we make progress regardless
This week, we arrived at the bargaining table prepared to discuss campus safety and our “ICE-out” proposals, just as we were prepared to present salary proposals last week. However, HR reiterated their position that they would not meet with us. They did not offer any rationale at the time. In...
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January 30, 2026: Fighting for a living wage and campus pay parity
This week, we tried to advance our salary contract article proposal grounded in two core demands: a living wage for all workers and the urgent need to end U-M's pay disparity policy between the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses. U-M HR again refused to meet us in-person on Friday, instead forcing…
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January 23, 2026: Shuttle, So Confusing
Graduate workers at the University of Michigan "met in-person" with (read: did not even catch a glimpse of) representatives from the university's HR department. Despite HR's claims that we spoke in-person, grad workers in reality only spoke with a state-appointed mediator that U-M called in last...
About this show
Grad workers at the University of Michigan are bargaining for their 2026-29 contract and fighting for job security, safety, and autonomy in the workplace. Hear from GEO members, our bargaining team, and labor allies about the latest updates from the bargaining table!
Hosted by
GEO3550