top of page

Who We Are 

GEOC was formed in 1998 when a group of graduate students at Wayne State University came together to fight for their health benefits that were about to be cut by the University. The union has since grown to 500+ members drawn from all departments on campus and reflects Wayne State's diverse population. All members of the steering committee and department stewards are volunteers that work to create a strong collective voice for our bargaining unit. Our staff organizers work nonstop to maintain our membership and help the union run smoothly.

Our Values

 

As a collective, GEOC members have created and passed the following values that we believe express the beliefs and principles that guide our work. View our complete values statement here. 

  • GEOC opposes every form of hatred, harassment, violence, intimidation, exclusion, explicit or implicit bias, and personal or structural oppression of marginalized groups, including but not limited to people of color, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants and non-U.S. citizens and their descendants, religious minorities and the nonreligious, disabled people, and people of low socioeconomic status. GEOC will stand in solidarity with affected people against perpetrators regardless of the entities or persons involved.

  • GEOC supports the broad availability of health care, including all transition-related care, and opposes efforts to restrict the availability of sexual health information, contraceptives, and reproductive healthcare.

 

  • GEOC opposes efforts to disenfranchise voters, to restrict the freedom of speech, of assembly, or of the press, to increase surveillance of individuals or organizations, or otherwise to compromise civil liberties or the functioning of a democratic society.

 

  • GEOC supports the payment of a living wage to every worker in all forms of employment, regardless of responsibility, title, full-or-part-time status, citizenship, nation of origin, or documentation status.

 

  • GEOC supports the right of all workers to adequate utilities and tools to do their job with efficiency, security, and safety.

 

  • GEOC supports the right of all workers to ensure their working hours are respected. We oppose the exploitation of workers’ hours in any way.

  • The GEOC supports the rights of workers to organize into unions, as well as other venues for collective power, to improve the situation of working people regardless of their occupation, nationality, or immigrant status.

 

  • GEOC supports groups and actions organized in support of principles above, including efforts to ensure active support for these principles by Wayne State University or by other powerful institutions or individuals.

Steering Committee

IMG-0998_edited.jpg

JT Popiel

President

Department of History

GEOC_black.png

Eva Mwakazi

Treasurer

Department of Chemistry

teresa.jpg

Teresa Jeffrey

Grievance Chair

Department of Physics & Astronomy

GEOC_black.png

Dan Corey

Bargain and Research Chair

Department of Chemistry

GEOC_black.png

Namrah Khan

Data Chair

Department of Mechanical Engineering

cbozeman.jpg

Christian Bozeman

Vice President

Department of History

20210808_111436.jpg

Minerva Gale

Secretary

Department of Chemistry

280110668_1040185383277498_3654005894871089807_n.jpg

Ryan Corso-Gonzales

Communications Chair

Department of Communication

Fariba.jpg

Fariba Pajooh

International Chair

Department of Communication

GEOC_black.png

N/A

Political Action Chair

TBD

Staff

picreid.jpg

Reid Hulleza

Part-Time Organizer
GEOC_black.png

To Be Determined

Graduate Student Assistant

TBD

Department Stewards

bottom of page