Graduate students enrolled at UMass Boston degree programs who are employed as graduate assistants (i.e. RA, GA, TA, or TF) have the right to unionize. This includes international graduate students.
You can download the dues deduction form, fill it out, and send it back to geo@umb.edu or drop it off at the Union office located in Quinn 02-081. We accept dues deduction forms and FERPA waivers in both digital and hard copy. Contact us for any questions.
GEO members pay the Union to cover the costs of administration of representing them as graduate employees during collective bargaining. GEO members are eligible to vote, ratify contracts, and serve on the GEO Organizing Committee. The current dues are 1.79% of your taxable income.
There is a one-time $25 registration fee to join GEO. On your first paycheck after your application for membership has been processed, both the $25 registration fee and the 1.79% union dues will be deducted. After that, only the 1.79% union dues will be deducted from each paycheck.
FERPA gives a student the right to access and review their education records, request corrections, and control disclosure of their personally identifiable information.
Because we / GEO is run by student employees and represents student employees, our Organizing Committee play a dual role. Employment information is available to all of the other unions on campus. However, the University uses FERPA as a way to classify us as students and and restrict our access to employment information about our own bargaining unit. This makes it difficult for GEO to contact our membership.
By waiving your FERPA rights for this purpose, you allow the University to let us know which students are employees which allows us to communicate with you and accordingly bargain for your rights. GEO will never receive any of your confidential educational records.