On Wednesday, University at Buffalo’s Graduate Student Employee Union delivered a petition to the door of UB’s Office of the President and held a rally urging the SUNY system to come to an agreement on a new contract. WBFO’s Emyle Watkins has the latest.
TRANSCRIPT:
[The story starts with sound from the union members knocking on the door of the Office of the President]
Eugene Koveos: Hello!
Sera Brown: They know we're here
Eugene Koveos: We are your friendly rank and file workers. We’re not feeling so friendly, but that’s all right.
Sera Brown: We already gave you this petition, we figured, we’ll give it to you again.
[Papers shuffling]
Eugene Koveos: Can we do it under the door?
[Union members begin pushing paper under the door]
Eugene Koveos: This is your homework admins…
[Sound from rally fades]
Emyle Watkins The Graduate Student Employee Union, part of CWA Local 1104 at the University at Buffalo, stuffed their 2000 plus signature petition under the door of UB’s Office of the President after holding a rally Wednesday. Organizers say it has been 606 days since their last contract expired.
Sera Brown: 72 percent of our wages go to rent. What does that leave for anyone?
Emyle Watkins: GSEU Organizer Sera Brown says they want the university system to increase wages. The union says they asked for a minimum stipend of $40,059, but they were only offered a 3 percent increase, which would bring the base stipend to $11,102.
[Sound of union members chanting "no contract, no peace."]
Emyle Watkins: The union is also asking for a new health and safety article and protections for international students, according to Chief Steward Eugene Koveos.
Eugene Koveos: We're at the most international [at] UB. You know, we're here in a state with Democrats that claim to care for working people and for international people and for immigrants, and we need them to put on the pressure, because there's a lot of fear out there, and we're fighting for a living wage. This SUNY is worth fighting for. We love SUNY. We love our classes, we love our students, and we want to make SUNY better.
Emyle Watkins: In a statement, UB said “University officials are not authorized to meet, discuss or negotiate with GSEU leaders on these matters. Negotiations can only occur at the state level.”
Emyle Watkins: Emyle Watkins, WBFO News
