Earlier today, Provost David Madigan sent us all an email informing us that the University is presenting a “final package offer” in our contract negotiations. Madigan threatened that the University may regress on their offer to one with worse conditions if we do not accept this proposal.
In an email to our Bargaining Committee, the University also threatened to claim impasse if we do not accept their offer in 30 days, which would end bargaining and illegally, unilaterally implement changes without reaching any sort of agreement with graduate workers. This deadline is fake and arbitrary. We have not reached impasse because our bargaining committee has continued to make movement as recently as our last session. In short, the University has given us an ultimatum: accept this paltry proposal, or they will impose whatever conditions they want. Together, we must reject this false choice.
Let us be clear, these hostile and aggressive bargaining tactics are highly abnormal, immoral and blatantly illegal. The University’s tactics reflect that, despite their claims and our best efforts to find common ground, they are not interested in reaching a fair agreement. Instead, the University is taking advantage of the uncertainty and fear of the current political situation to force us to accept what would be the worst grad worker union contract in the nation. They believe that without functioning federal oversight they will face no consequences for their illegal and demeaning behavior at the bargaining table. Fortunately, it’s not up to them. Standing together as a union, we have the power to decide what contract we will, or will not, accept.
In an email to faculty, the university tried to paint us as entitled children asking for too much. What we are asking for is simple: dignity and resources akin to our peer institutions. The standards we are bargaining for are the same at 60+ unionized universities across the country: Providing childcare to keep parents in academia is not unreasonable, it is just. Wanting to earn enough to afford rent in one of the most expensive cities in the country is not unreasonable. The administration’s devaluation of graduate student workers, and their specific demeaning of hourly student workers, shows us that it is necessary that we fight.
Although the University claims that they are bargaining in good faith, they have made very little movement since January of 2024. In some areas, they have even regressed. Some highlights include (see our compact analysis of their latest offer on our website here):
- The contract would give us only about 2/3 of the living wage we need, and at best 2.5% “raises” for some workers that would not keep up with inflation. They also previously agreed to have these (small) raises take effect retroactively in 2024 and now are saying they would start in 2025, meaning we would lose a year of raises we previously won.
- The admins would strip health insurance from all grad students who are not guaranteed full 12 months of funding or who are beyond their original funding guarantee, which is worse than the status quo.They also dropped a $350,000 fund that they had previously offered, which would have offset costs for dental or medical care.
- Their proposal for international worker protections has not improved since December 2024. In the face of mounting fear and uncertainty, they still refuse to guarantee sufficient resources and protections from federal agents.
- Only grad workers who are guaranteed full 12 months of funding would get holidays, which is worse than the status quo.
Since they dropped their first comprehensive proposal in January of 2024 (and not much has changed since then), a majority of us have already overwhelmingly rejected these conditions: in January of 2025, we submitted a petition to the University in which 1,300 grad workers demanded that the University change its bargaining practices and offer much-needed improvements over their proposals. The University ignored this petition and has made no significant movement since then, which is why we made it clear there is no need for a vote on their latest offer.
What can I do?
Show the University that we will not back down! Join us at Northeastern’s commencement on May 11th, where we will be picketing to inform graduates and their families about the administration’s actions – sign up to join us here.
The administration can only impose their conditions if we let them. Let us stand together and show them that we won’t!
Solidarity,
GENU-UAW Bargaining & Organizing Committees