TL;DR: We’ve rejected the administration’s so-called “final offer” and urged them to return to the bargaining table. We’ve responded in good faith with a counteroffer. What you can do: talk to your coworkers, share a testimonial, and reach out by replying to this email.
On May 6th, the Northeastern administration issued us a threat: accept their contract or they stop bargaining.
We are sending a message to management: not good enough, so we are countering it.
Why aren’t we accepting the admin’s ultimatum-contract?
In January of 2024, admins brought a contract proposal to the third bargaining session that failed to address any of the core issues we and our coworkers face. Since then, in January of 2025, 1300 grads signed a petition calling on the administration to make a better offer. Comparing their recent offer (from May 5th, 2025) with the earlier one shows how little the administration moved in over 17 months of “bargaining.”
At our recent General Membership Meeting, grads found many ways that the admins’ offer fell short of our needs and would be impossible to enforce. For example:
- It gives administration the right to reduce appointments for grads, and it does not guarantee 12 month appointments to all PhD students – not even those who currently have them.
- It only guarantees $43,000/year for salaried grads (only 68% of the MIT calculated Living Wage in Boston) and $18/hr for hourly grads, with 2.5% raises each year (which does not keep up with inflation for the past few years)
- It limits and restricts the rights of international workers to take leave to renew their visas to inflexible periods over the year, and provides no funds to assist with visa and legal fees in an increasingly uncertain landscape.
- It allows the administration to take away our health insurance because insurance is only guaranteed for grads with 12 month appointments. No details are given on the plan.
- Discrimination and harassment cases are required to use the administration’s existing processes, and prevented from being heard by a neutral, third-party arbitrator.
In response, our bargaining committee is ready to present a good faith package counter-proposal, if the administration is ready to meet us. If they agree to meet, we will send you the details of the updated proposal.
How might the administration respond?
Hopefully, the administration will return to the table and begin bargaining in good faith. However, the past 18 months of stalling and their ultimatum shows it is unlikely.
They might present a worse offer, as they threatened in their last email, which says they may “amend the terms in the light of the new financial landscape.” If they do this, it would be considered regressive bargaining, which is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act.
They also might claim bargaining is over. In an email to our Bargaining Committee, Northeastern refused to meet to discuss their package and instead claimed we are at an “impasse”, which is when both parties, the union and management, are unwilling to move. By offering a counterproposal, we are proving that we cannot be at an impasse. The administration wants to claim impasse because it would legally authorize them to impose their contract proposal–but since the claim of impasse is not true, such an attempt would be illegitimate.
What can we do next?
If the admins choose to violate the law and refuse to bargain, we may be forced to take collective action, including a potential strike. By making it clear that we are willing to take action, the administration will need to make movement. But ALL of us need to do our part to make this happen. Here are some next steps you can take towards winning a strong contract:
- Talk to your coworkers. We need to make sure all of our fellow grads understand the stakes of bargaining and what we can do about it. Reply to this email to be connected to a grad organizing in your area who will offer resources and advice on approaching these conversations.
- Share your testimonial. Why does a strong contract matter to you? Tell your fellow grad workers what changes you want to see in your work and daily life. Reflect on times when you—or someone you know—would have benefited from fairer pay, better support, or stronger protections. Your testimonial can highlight why this fight matters and inspire your coworkers to get involved too.
In solidarity,
GENU-UAW Bargaining Committee and Organizing Committee