------------------------------------------------------------ Graduate Assistants United eNewsletter Vol. 2, No.2, October 4, 2002 http://www.ufgau.org ------------------------------------------------------------ You are being sent this newsletter because GAU represents you in employment matters as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Florida. Subscribe/unsubscribe information is at the end of this email. ============================================================ IN THIS ISSUE: Register To Vote! Bargaining Ratification Vote GSC Meeting, Thursday October 17 Minimum Stipend Grievance International Student Fee International Student Health Insurance GAU Happy Hour ============================================================ REGISTER TO VOTE! The November elections will have significant effects on graduate assistants at the University of Florida. If you a domestic student, it is important that you vote in the coming election. If you are not yet registered to vote, you have until Monday, October 7 to register. Here is a link to download a pdf form to register: https://doesecure.dos.state.fl.us/RegToVote/regform.shtml Forms must be postmarked on or before October 7, and may be mailed to: The Honorable Beverly Hill, Supervisor of Elections, Alachua County Admin. Building, 12 SE 1st St., Gainesville, FL 32602. You may also drop off the form at that office before the close of business Monday. BARGAINING RATIFICATION VOTE GAU and the Administration were at impasse in the last contract negotiations, and the State Legislature has resolved that impasse. We currently have a tentative agreement that we need to ratify. Major points include a 2.5% increase for ALL graduate assistants, effective October 1, and a commitment from the administration to formally discuss health insurance issues more regularly with GAU. We are in the process of reserving tabling space so we can hold a ratification vote. You will receive another email and paper notice before the election. We strongly encourage you all to vote FOR this contractual agreement. When the State transfers control of UF to the UF Board of Trustees on January 7, a ratified agreement will be a stabilizing influence during the transition. GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL MEETING The Graduate Student Council will be holding its monthly meeting on Thursday, October 17, at 6:30 PM at the Brain Institute on Newall Drive, just north of Shands. The theme of this meeting is "Working Together". Several campus organizations, including GAU, will be present and discussing ways we can all work together toward our common goals like health benefits for graduate assistants. Please come if you have the opportunity. Pizza and soda will be provided. MINIMUM STIPEND GRIEVANCE Last year, 417 graduate assistants were not paid the minimum stipend as outlined in Article 23.5 of our contractual labor agreement. We filed a grievance, and the University denied our grievance at Steps 1, 2, and 3. We continued the fight by taking the grievance to arbitration. We had the arbitration hearing on September 19. The arbitrator's decision is due by November 4. Stay tuned. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FEE As the international students are aware, a fee of $50 per semester is being charged to international students. The purpose of this fee is to fund the new federal requirements for universities to track international students. We are upset that this fee was imposed without the opportunity for international student involvement in exploring other funding opportunities. GAU will make this a bargaining priority in the next round of contract negotiations, to have this fee waived for graduate assistants. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE In addition to the fee increase this year for the international student health insurance plan, there is also a decrease in coverage. International students must now pay 20% of ancillary costs from the infirmary. These costs include prescriptions, lab tests, etc. Formerly, these costs were included 100% in the insurance package. Apparently, there was no education effort undertaken to inform international students of this change. Now, we have several international students who have used the infirmary ancillary services without knowing they would be charged for them. GAU is curently trying to find out what can be done to prevent these problems in the future. Because of our contractual labor agreement, GAU does have a seat on the domestic Student Health Insurance Committee, but that committee does not administer the international student plan. We are currently trying to find out which office does administer the international student health insurance plan. Apparently, neither the infirmary nor the international student center administer that plan. We're still working on this. If you have ideas for us, please let us know! GAU HAPPY HOUR Back by popular demand! The GAU Happy Hour is now on Thursday nights, from 6 - 8 PM, at the Everyday Gourmet, behind the Swamp Resturaunt on University Avenue. There are drink specials available. Stop out sometime and socialize with your colleagues! ----------------------------------------------------------------- You are being sent this email because Graduate Assistants United represents you in University employment matters. If you would like to be removed from this eNewsletter list, please respond to this email with the word "REMOVE" in the subject line. If you would like to be added to the list, please send an email to frank.goeddeke@cba.ufl.edu -----------------------------------------------------------------