Graduate student teachers at U-M go on multi-day strike, which school says is illegal

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Graduate Employees Organization at the University of Michigan is on strike over COVID-19 protocols and practices amid the start of classes. The GEO is the union for grad students that teach. 

"This is a question of life or death for people," says Kathleen Brown. She says graduate student instructors should be allowed to teach remotely, but the university says they are allowing that. Most classes are online and will continue, but students are still on campus. 

"[The protest] is in opposition to the university's reckless re-opening plan which has brought back 45,000 students to Ann Arbor despite there being no vaccine for coronavirus," Brown says.

The group has concerns for the safety of students, as well as faculty and staff.

The university says 36 students and 22 non-students have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks.

"Having lots of people living together in close proximity will increase the likelihood of an outbreak and it just doesn't affect students. It will spread to the rest of the community," she says.

"I'm really here at the protest for my students. I want to make sure that they're safe," said Glenesha Berryman. She's a PhD student teaching first-year English who wants to see more comprehensive testing for the campus community.

The Graduate Employees Organization is also calling for the defunding of campus police by 50% to support racial justice movements. The union plans to strike all this week.

"We're hopeful that finally they'll start paying attention to graduate student needs and community needs and what we've been saying and shouting from the rooftops," Brown says.

For their part, the university says their COVID-19 testing strategy is robust and that this strike is illegal. You can read more about the university's response here.