Cool heads must prevail while a contract for the Graduate Employees Union is ironed out.

While tensions mount and tempers flare at the Graduate Employees Organization of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, officials turn a wary eye to our union, hoping to prevent the worst.

The 8-year-old Illinois organization voted to hold a two-day strike to protest the university denying members the right to unionize.

The situation is different at MSU, where union members are focused on several issues for the union’s first contract, including quality heath care, a living wage, a fair workload, full tuition waivers, improved training and job security.

While negotiations have continued steadily, the occasional spark of irritability shows up in the form of rallies or arguments, and the possibility of a strike, however remote, only further demonstrates the need for calm thinking.

Not all graduate employees even support the actions being taken by the union. Some are upset about the way their leadership handles negotiations, and believe they have lost out on some benefits because of the new union.

The union is a new organization - officially formed in May - and needs time to arrange the things it wants, especially in a period of tight budgets and drained coffers.

Union officials need to keep cool and continue to work out an agreement with university administration. To create a contract of this sort for the first time takes time, and will be a tedious process.

Conducting business calmly and carefully will help to build a solid base to work off of, and garner the support that the GEU needs from its members and the community.