Weekly Updates: 02/22/2024

Upcoming Events
2/21 Wednesday - Organizing Meeting 5-7pm at Carr Hall 611 and Zoom
2/22 Thursday - Bargaining session 1-3pm at Reitz G310 and ZOOM 
2/24 Saturday - OPEN Healthcare Committee Meeting on Discord
Bargaining Updates 
GAs deserve a 42k living wage
The GAU bargaining team is just getting started on Article 7 (workload) and has already made some major headway. GAU has always held strong in our position that GAs provide far more value to UF than a true “part time” employee (clip) and deserve a living wage, which is currently 42k for Gainesville residents (MIT calculator) due to drastic rent increases and inflation. 

These past couple of bargaining sessions have left UF a bit tongue tied as they struggle to respond to our arguments that with 32% of GAs stating that they are overworked on a weekly basis and many working well over 40hrs a week - GAs are not properly compensated for their efforts. Most GAs feel they have no choice but to work overtime, with everything that’s unpaid being considered “academic development” but GAU refuses to back down on such a blatant violation of labor rights. 

Furthermore the sheer number of hours GAs put into their jobs and research make the prospect of a second job nearly impossible for most, and is not even an option for the large percentage of international GAs in our unit. GAU is confident on this article and feels it is starting from a better position in comparison to last year.
Updates by Article:
Article 5 (Employee Evaluations) 
Only contention is creating the right that we get at least one PIP to improve after a negative evaluation, this goes in hand with Article 4.
Article 8 (Leave) 
UF seemed amendable to changing sister/brother to sibling and his/her to their in this article as long as it stays consistent across the CBA. They also conceded to the previously mentioned first-semester births/adoption leave exception. They also agreed to GAU proposed changes to 8.4 - unpaid leave, ensuring 8 weeks at a time and agreed to the proposed notification timeline. 

Check back next week for updates on the other topics and articles that were discussed this past session: Article 20 (Other Employee Rights), Article 21 (Discipline), Article 22 (Grievance), Article 16 (UFF-GAU Rights) and Housing.


Organizing updates
Card campaign success! 
We reached our card goal, first crisis averted! In October we started a campaign to get 1,776 showing of interest cards signed (40% of all UF GA’s). Without these cards and without 60% GAU membership we would be decertified by the end of the semester. Thank you to all 1,864 GAs who signed a card. You are the reason we have another year and the reason we will get to 60% membership by March 2025! Remember that the fight has only just begun. We need everyone’s help to reach our goal and stop decertification. Your union will spend the next year protecting your labor rights, bargaining for better working conditions, pay and benefits and continuing to build the strongest community UF has ever seen (and it includes every single one of you).
Keep an eye out for a post-Blitz Happy Hour social - COMING SOON
Healthcare Updates
List of mental healthcare providers
GAU has recently received and posted a list of mental healthcare providers in the Gainesville area that take GatorGradCare insurance. This list is from July 2022 but should be mostly accurate. See the healthcare section of ufgau.org for more GGC information! 
What’s missing from GatorGradCare?Our healthcare committee is holding an open meeting this weekend and all are welcome to share their ideas–you don’t have to already be on the committee! Join us on Saturday, February 24, at 2:00pm on the committee voice channel in discord, you can access the committee channel by assigning yourself to healthcare under #roles. If you need help joining, just ask in discord!
Compensation for GGC Screening
With a quick screening and short survey for GatorGradCare, you will get a $50 amazon gift card. Last day to participate is Thursday, 2/22. Check your email for this opportunity. 

Connect With Us
Email us: [email protected]
Discord: join 
Visit our office hours: 8:30-11:30 Mon,Wed,Thurs and 12:45-2:45 Tues (Yon Hall Rm 224)
Find us at a tabling event: NONE THIS WEEK