The Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) staged a protest outside the Michigan League on the morning of February 12, 2026, demanding improved wages and enhanced protections for graduate student employees. The demonstration coincided with a scheduled bargaining session that was cancelled after state mediator Micki Czerniak suspended negotiations for a period of 28 days.
Protest Highlights Concerns Over Wages and Campus Safety
Protesters carried signs advocating for fair pay and expressing opposition to the involvement of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on campus. They also called for the expansion of Ann Arbor’s Unarmed Crisis Response Program, which aims to redirect non-criminal calls typically handled by police to trained unarmed crisis responders. The picket concluded at 9:30 a.m., following a series of chants such as “Ann Arbor is a union town, if we don’t get it, shut it down,” and “United we bargain, divided we beg.”
Daniel Weaver, chair of GEO’s salary working group, emphasized the importance of the protest in making the voices of graduate student employees heard. “Leadership, in general, works hard to be insulated from a lot of the people who work here because they want to make their own decisions based on their own ideas,” Weaver explained. “A picket is a place to make that visible.”
The protest attracted support from various segments of the University of Michigan community, including lecturers, undergraduate student organizations, and local officials. Yousef Rabhi, a candidate for Ann Arbor mayor and Washtenaw County commissioner, attended the protest carrying a sign that read “Fair Work, Fair Pay.” He voiced his support for GEO’s efforts, highlighting the significance of creating an ICE-free campus.
Community Solidarity and Focus on ICE Protection
Rabhi expressed disappointment over the University’s decision to cancel the in-person contract negotiations and the mediator’s suspension of bargaining sessions. “It’s disrespectful to tried-and-true labor practice and labor law,” he stated. “The University is really showing that it’s not there for the people that it’s supposed to be there for.”
Protection from ICE has emerged as a central issue for many GEO members. During their last bargaining session, the organization sought to present proposals aimed at limiting the University’s cooperation with ICE and requiring alerts to be issued when ICE is present on campus.
Undergraduate students also showed solidarity, with Siena Ramirez, a junior in Public Policy and member of the TAHRIR Coalition, expressing the need for undergraduate support in GEO’s bargaining efforts. “It’s our responsibility to do what we can to support each other’s rights,” Ramirez said. “GEO is fighting for not only the rights of everyone in the union, but everyone on campus.”
Hiab Teshome, GEO president, noted that support from the broader University community is crucial in advancing their goals. “Everyone is affected by the things the University does and the things we’re fighting for in our contract,” he stated. “When allies are coming to the picket or coming to our bargaining spaces, it’s super important because it’s showing what we can do together to change our collective spaces.”
The protest underscored growing tensions surrounding labor negotiations at the University of Michigan, as graduate employees call for a more equitable workplace and stronger protections against immigration enforcement. As the situation develops, the GEO remains committed to advocating for their members’ rights and addressing community concerns.
