On Friday, more than 50 people — a mixture of UF graduate assistants, undergraduates and faculty — sat on the steps of Tigert Hall holding paper signs reading, “UF show GAs you care,” and “Save Gator Grad Care.”
UF’s Graduate Assistants United organized the rally to educate other students about UF’s Jan. 30 proposal to raise the cost of health insurance premiums, monthly deductibles and other services for graduate assistants, said Charles Shields, the communications chair of GAU. As a union representing graduate assistants, GAU negotiated for it to remain the same.
Graduate assistants, who are the lowest-paid employees at the university, won’t be able to afford an increase in health-care cost, he said. GAU wanted to make their position clear outside the office of UF President Kent Fuchs.
“We want to make a statement to them — and where better to do that than in their front yard,” Shields said.
For about an hour, they all sat around a light tan, pentagon cloth sign, with a slit down the middle and a red painted health care “plus” sign and the words, “GAU CARES” underneath. This represented a makeshift hospital graduate assistants would have to start if they could no longer afford to go to traditional hospitals, Sebastian Sclofsky, GAU’s organizing chair said.
“In many ways it feels like that’s where UF is trying to take us,” Sclofsky said, referring to the hospital sign.
“They can argue that it’s a question of money, but I want to ask President Fuchs if he thinks that the shrubs in the Plaza of Americas are more important than GAs,” Sclofsky said.
As the ralliers cheered on, Bill Connellan, UF’s chief bargainer, watched by the foot of the steps. He said it was interesting seeing how GAU portrayed the negotiation.
“The issue is a complex one,” he said. “The graduate assistants have the most robust health care plan on campus.”
When the rally came to a close, GAU still had leftover Five Star Pizza, which they offered to Connellan.
“We bargain at the table, we don’t bargain here,” Connellan said.
Contact Paige Fry at pfry@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @paigexfry
Contact Romy Ellenbogen at rellenbogen@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @romyellenbogen
For about an hour Friday, about 50 people all sat around a light tan, pentagon cloth sign, with a slit down the middle and a red painted health care “plus” sign and the words, “GAU CARES” underneath.
