. ▁An ▁early ▁victory ▁came ▁when ▁the ▁G E O ▁convinced ▁the ▁administration ▁to ▁delay ▁payment ▁of ▁student ▁fe es ▁until ▁the ▁first ▁pay day . ▁After ▁initial ▁success , ▁this ▁early ▁G E O ▁became ▁in active . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁a ▁new ▁group ▁of ▁gradu ate ▁employees ▁began ▁building ▁an ▁active ▁organization ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁matching ▁the ▁achiev ements ▁of ▁un ions ▁at ▁the ▁Univers ities ▁of ▁Michigan ▁and ▁Wisconsin . ▁In ▁the ▁Spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁G E O ▁issued ▁a ▁bill ▁of ▁rights ▁and ▁successfully ▁r al lied ▁grad s ▁against ▁the ▁administration ' s ▁plan ▁to ▁stop ▁issu ing ▁staff ▁ID ▁cards ▁to ▁assist ants . ▁With ▁the ▁ID ▁cards , ▁assist ants ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁retain ▁many ▁benefits ▁such ▁as ▁staff ▁par king , ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁Ill ini ▁Cred it ▁Union , ▁and ▁state ▁of ▁Illinois ▁employee ▁disc ount s . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 - 9 5 ▁academic ▁year , ▁the ▁G E O ▁grew ▁and ▁changed ▁significantly . ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁G E O ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁Illinois ▁Federation ▁of ▁Te ach ers ▁( IF T ), ▁joining ▁over ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Illinois ▁educ ators ▁in ▁that ▁organization . ▁During ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁gradu ate ▁employee ▁un ions ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Federation ▁of ▁Te ach