Grad workers deserve a living wage because our working conditions are students' learning conditions.
— Molly Henderson, American Studies
Our first date of bargaining is Tuesday, May 13th! Our bargaining committee will share updates here throughout the bargaining process. We need YOU to make sure we have a strong contract. If you’re interested in helping with social media, drafting emails, reviewing proposals, or anything else, please reach out! If you’re interested in getting involved—please email gwugwunited@gmail.com.
In June, our bargaining dates will be Monday, June 9th and Wednesday, June 11th.
May 13th Articles
Recognition & Definition of Unit
Union Rights
Bargaining Unit & Card Check
Labor Management Committee
University Holidays / Closures
Pay Day
Additional Employment
Anti-discrimination
Why we are organizing to build power for a strong contract:
Graduate workers provide essential services to GW—services for which we are poorly compensated. Additionally, we are facing unprecedented threats that the university has been unable or unwilling to protect us from. We need a strong union contract to ensure just compensation and adequate protections for graduate workers.
— Ari Zakoff, Biology
Bargaining is the time where we get to tell the university what is important to us and so every grad student worker should be given the chance to make their voice heard. I want to fight to make sure STEM students and researchers have their needs met.
— Bekah Russo, Biomedical Engineering
As the president of my student organization, I am far too familiar with how our graduate student workers are forced to sacrifice their physical and mental health to keep up and make ends meet. In our program's financial wellbeing survey, we found that 42% of our students had sacrificed medical care or skipped meals because they felt they couldn't afford it. How are graduate students who are learning AND teaching able to focus and thrive when they are worried about affording new glasses or their next meal? I've heard horror stories about students being asked to take sick time for therapy sessions, or not being given vacation time at all. That's why I am here fighting for a solid contract. GWU graduate student workers deserve fair pay that keeps up with inflation, and they deserve the time and compensation to take care of their physical and mental health.
— Sydney Woods, Neuroscience
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree, but by no means unaware of the precarity that comes with this path. I've learned that "fully funded" means anxiety over rent in the summer months. I've learned that "student" and "employee" are titles used interchangeably dependent upon their utility to the university's bottom line. I've learned that it could all change without warning: funding dries up, research projects halted, hard times... and all without a safety net. For many of us, the PhD is a noble project for which we willingly compromise on economic security in exchange for our passion: academic work. But especially in an inreasingly uncertain politcal climate, we need to be recognized as workers who perform essential services to the university, and should be treated (and especially compensated) justly.