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U-M's Graduate Employees' Organization Still On Strike

University of Michigan

Members of the University of Michigan’s Graduate Employees’ Organization have rejected an initial offer made by the university and will remain on strike demanding a safe and just campus.  


Members of the GEO say the university ignored their request for COVID- 19 asymptomatic testing on campus and to increase the number of people who get tested in general at the university.  Erin Markiewitz is the vice president of the GEO and says university administrators also continue to place too much of an emphasis on policing, such as making sure students are following social distancing guidelines, when it comes to COVID-19 response.

Erin Markiewitz: Their solutions to having tens of thousands of students returning to campus has been to increase policing but not have sufficient testing. Experts show that the solution to a safe pandemic response is having sufficient testing.

University officials say they’re testing about 3,000 faculty, staff, and students for COVID-19 a week, but those individuals are volunteering to get tested.  In a statement sent to WEMU, the university says they’re disappointed with the GEO’s decision to reject their offer and are considering possible next steps.

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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu

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