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• Was the GEO being unreasonable in their demands?

With TAs teaching more than 20 percent of the classes on campus, chances are that students will have at least one class taught by a TA before they graduate, if not more. This is partially why the thought of a strike by the Graduate Employees’ Organization, or the GEO, was so alarming. Unfortunately, after nearly seven months of negotiations and three months of working without a contract, talks between the GEO and the UIUC administration reached a breaking point as the administration continued to stand firm against the GEO’s list of demands, which include “a living wage for graduate employees, tuition waiver security and improved health and child care coverage.” While many professors and students promised to stand behind the GEO, some believed that they were being unreasonable by placing the students’ education at risk. This begs the question, on which side of the picket line did you stand?

"I think the school should intervene and not put the kids in a bad place. The graduate students really have nothing to gain and everything to lose."

— David Fila, UIUC Dad and Illinois Resident

"I’m all about the right to strike, but I don’t think they should call teachers and students scabs for crossing picket lines. I won’t cross probably, but if it goes on for too long, I can’t continually miss class."

— Sara Westergaard, Junior in Animal Sciences

"I’m supportive of them, but it’s hard to totally support them because the school is still going through stuff with their payroll. They shouldn’t let the school run them over though."

— Kenji Nanto, Junior in Electrical Engineering

"I think it’s totally reasonable. They should get paid for what they do. Where would we be without them?"

— Anna Witek, Anna Witek, Sophomore in Communications