On November 29, 2018, we held our first ever Member Summit for Grad Workers. At this summit we discussed the issues we face that prevent us from doing our best work, and talked about ways to improve our work lives and therefore improve Northeastern University.
Financial Security & Resources
We can only do our best work when we’re healthy. We need real dental and vision insurance, affordable family coverage, affordable childcare, and vastly improved mental health support.
- Everyone who is a graduate worker should make enough to live comfortably in Boston, so Northeastern needs to pay all of us more. We do better work when we are paid more, because we are able to meet our needs more easily.
- 100% of graduate student workers should receive guaranteed summer funding, immediately, not phased in gradually or competitively.
- More of the grants won by graduate workers should go to improving their situation, as opposed to the huge percentage of overhead that the university currently takes.
- Graduate student workers, particularly international students, should not have to pay any student fees, which is in effect handing us money with one hand and taking it away with another. Waive the fees.
- Northeastern should be subsidizing affordable housing instead of flooding the housing market with new graduate students each year.
- Northeastern should subsidize public transportation at similar rates as Harvard and MIT or entirely cover it. The current discount is minimal.
- Northeastern should subsidize actual long-term affordable childcare for graduate workers, not a limited amount of discounted sharing app like care.com, which is only good for emergencies.
- Improve the reimbursement system so graduate student workers do not have to pay up front and be reimbursed at a (often much) later date.
- Northeastern should facilitate access to cheap and healthy food for graduate workers.
- Healthcare should be subsidized for dependants of graduate workers.
- Facilities (such as the gym) should be accessible for dependants of graduate workers.
- International students should have a choice of a J-1 visa as well as the F-1 visa, depending on their situation, as other universities do.
- There needs to be more translation support for international student workers trying to navigate a system that is not their native language.
Health
Boston is one of the most expensive cities in the country to live in. We need guaranteed summer funding and work for all graduate workers, predictable yearly raises, subsidized public transportation, and affordable housing options.
- We need dental insurance, not an insufficient “dental discount.”
- We need affordable and available health insurance for dependants and partners/spouses of graduate workers.
- Healthcare plans should not be “one size fits all” but more flexible to options, add-ons, and subtractions.
- Northeastern needs more mental health counselors and prescribers. 15 staff for 26,000 students is immoral!
- In-house training for clinical psychology, sliding scale fee for students and general public.
- Northeastern should reimburse new graduate student workers, especially international students, who have to get vaccines before arriving in the United States.
- UHCS needs to improve the referral system.
- Ability to make appointments with NUHealth.
- Health navigator/functional website, and someone to help provide information.
Abuse & Harassment
The precarity of graduate work makes us vulnerable to abuse, discrimination, and harassment. Women, people of color, international students, and LGBTQ grad workers are especially vulnerable. When a single PI has all the power over our work and livelihoods, we know we need a better system. We need real protections from harassment, an independent procedure to address abuse, and transparent remedies.
- A legally binding contract that specifically protects against harassment.
- Adequate sexual harassment protections that involves graduate student workers in decision making.
- There needs to be a functioning independent and accountable grievance procedure.
- We want elected graduate student workers who serve as wellness officers in every department who can handle grievances.
Accountability & Transparency
The rules often change without our input. We need job security, assurances that our positions won’t be changed without notice, and protections from overwork.
- Let us have a fair election without the threat that Northeastern will ask the Trump administration labor board to strip away the rights of graduate workers across the entire nation (sign an election agreement.)
- Recognize the results of an election and bargain in good faith to sign a contract that addresses the issues above.
- Graduate student workers should have representation in workplace related issues in the entire university.
- Obey the law that we are both students and workers, since we are expected to do both work and our own research. Do not participate in efforts to weaken those legal protections.
- Do more to address the precarity and alienation of graduate student workers.