We hope you’re enjoying the last week of summer before the fall semester begins.
Our GENU Bargaining Committee met with the Northeastern Administration on Monday, alongside over 100 attentive observers in the room and on Zoom — thank you so much for showing up and demonstrating our commitment to our fair working conditions, rights, benefits, and compensation!
We passed the bulk of our remaining proposals on Monday, addressing some of our most important issues:
- Compensation: We’re asking for a stipended rate of $60,000/year to address the skyrocketing cost of living in the Boston area, and an equivalent hourly rate of $57.69 for hourly Graduate Student Workers (GSWs), with additional raises for reaching PhD milestones, Instructor of Record, Head TA and Head RA responsibilities. We’re proposing a 5% annual raise, including a cost of living adjustment to ensure we don’t effectively lose money during periods of high inflation. We proposed guaranteed 6-year funding for all PhD students because we know the average PhD doesn’t take 5 years. Lastly, we included retroactivity applying these pay rates to when we won our union election last September.
- Healthcare: We proposed full coverage under NUSHP at no cost for all GSWs, whether stipended or hourly, and their dependents. Our proposal includes dental and vision coverage at no cost, including preventative appointments and prescription glasses. We proposed that coverage should continue during leaves of absence, reimbursement for necessary medical treatment while out of the United States, long-term disability insurance, and comprehensive coverage of gender-affirming healthcare.
- Non-resident and Non-citizen Graduate Student Worker Rights: We reinforced the legal right for all GSWs to participate in our union, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Our proposal includes protections to be proactive against changing federal legislation; privacy protections for immigration information and for international student workers on campus; access to immigration attorneys and legal resources; and a fund for reimbursement of visa fees and other immigration related legal fees. Additionally, we proposed that the university respond to relevant communications and document requests from our international members in a timely manner. Our previously passed Paid Leave article addresses paid time off to resolve visa and immigration related matters.
- Accessibility: We proposed an article to proactively address the needs of disabled GSWs, including provisions on non-retaliation; timely response from the Disability Resource Office and other university offices for accessibility and accommodations requests; several proactive access measures; and the provision of an up-to-date website and dedicated point of contact for GSW accessibility inquiries.
- Housing: We proposed that on-campus housing units equivalent to 10% of our total union member population be allocated to GSWs, with priority given for long distance relocation, GSWs with families, and GSWs with disabilities, at a cost of no more than 20% of the minimum salary level. Graduate housing is something the University offered in the past: we’re proposing reinstatement of that benefit.
- Prohibition Against Discrimination and Harassment: We proposed that the University provide equal opportunity employment, and provide a safe workplace for all workers. The tone from the University at the table was routinely dismissive and disrespectful. For example, the University stated that they did not believe sexual violence is an employment issue in response to our Discrimination and Harassment proposal. The University made repeated dismissive and inappropriate remarks about sexual violence throughout the session. We know that more than a quarter of workplace harassment cases reported in the US are classified as sexual harassment. When a grad worker says they have experienced a form of sexual violence, we believe them, we will not let them be silenced, and we will protect them from future harm!
We also passed proposals on Health and Safety, Emergency Assistance, Workspace and Materials, and Food Security; and counter proposals for Severability, Titles and Classifications, Grievance and Arbitration, and Labor Management Committee. The full text of our proposals and all previously passed proposals can be found on our website. The University passed counter proposals with no improvements offered: No Past Practice, Sick Leave, Holidays, Parking and Transit, and Vacation and Personal Time. Notably, the University’s counters largely contained status-quo offers, meaning they offered no additional protections or benefits beyond what only some of us have access to today, and they continued their attempts to exclude hourly workers.
In response to our Non-resident and Non-citizen Rights article, the University suggested that student workers could overstay their visas… rather than the University addressing the needs of our international student workers. In response to our Accessibility proposal, the University insisted on knowing the specific number of student workers affected by accessibility issues, with the implication that they would only care if the number met some threshold — obviously counter to the principles of accessibility and disability justice. When we proposed our Compensation article, the University stated that because our work was only “part-time” we did not deserve a living wage for the Boston area, and that less financially privileged people should not come to Northeastern for grad school.
It’s time for our contract! Sign your name!
We’ve been bargaining for ten months. We have a full contract worth of articles on the table. It’s time for a contract that meets our needs and we don’t want to wait any longer. Yesterday in negotiations, we launched a petition calling on the administration to stop the delays and start offering improvements. With a majority of graduate workers on the petition, we can show the administration we cannot be ignored or dismissed. Please add your name by Signing our petition today to demonstrate our demand for a contract NOW.
In Solidarity,
GENU-UAW Bargaining Committee
P.S. The full text of our proposals and all previously passed proposals can be found on our website.