Graduate assistants are organizing to improve our working conditions, our learning conditions, and the learning conditions of our students – and we are winning! Here are a few of the improvements graduate employees have been able to achieve collectively through organizing as a union:
Stipends
- Brown University
- A 35% pay increase worth $10,892.53 for graduate assistants in social sciences and humanities and a 21% stipend increase worth $7,376.3 for graduate assistants in the sciences from the years 2020-2023.
- A minimum stipend of $42,411.03 per year (including summer funding) for all graduate assistants.
- Columbia University
- A minimum stipend of $43,100 for 12-month appointments.
- A retroactive pay increase of no less than 4% for this academic year, plus additional 2% to cover union dues.
- An additional 3% increase in each of the next three years.
- Syracuse University
- $28K minimum stipend for PhDs and any grad workers currently at or above the minimum will receive a 12.5% pay increase over the life of the contract,
- A one-time ratification signing bonus of $1000
- University of California
- A 46% increase to minimum stipend pay from $23,250 to about $34,000
- Brandeis University
- An increase in per course pay of up to 56% over three years in their first contract.
Workloads
- Georgetown University and Rutgers University
- Workload capped at 15 hours per week.
- Harvard University
- Workload capped at no more than two recitation sections per semester.
- Brandeis University
- Workload capped at 14 hours per week for teaching fellows and 10 hours for teaching assistants (stipend amounts still increased despite reduction in contracted workload; see above).
- Guaranteed access to teaching materials for a course, such as textbooks and supplies.
Health Benefits
- University of Michigan
- Fully covered health and dental insurance, along with improved trans healthcare.
- Georgetown University
- Fully covered health and dental insurance.
- Columbia University
- University will pay 75% of dental insurance premiums for PhD students and dependents.
Support for Parents
- Rutgers University
- Up to 14 weeks (1 semester) of paid parental leave.
- University of Washington
- Up to $3,600 per year in childcare subsidies.
- University of Michigan
- Six weeks of paid parental leave; a childcare subsidy award, which is set at a minimum per term of $2,940 for one child, $4,310 for two children, and $5,682 for three or more children; along with guaranteed lactation spaces on campus.
International Graduate Worker Support
- University of Michigan; University of Washington, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Reimbursement of the SEVIS Fee, paid leave to participate in immigration proceedings and bereavement leave, and increased protections against bullying and harassment of international students.
- University of Michigan
- Improved legal resources and the creation of a legal phone hotline international students can call if they encounter issues crossing the border.
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Creation of a University committee to provide support with immigration status, visa issues, and legal issues.
Protections against all forms of harassment, racism, sexism, discrimination against international students and bullying
- University of Michigan, Columbia University, *University of Connecticut, and others:
- Right to Independent third-party arbitration or mediation for harassment and discrimination claims, bullying, overwork, racist or sexist behavior in the department, and any other employment issues.
- Harvard University
- Legal funding that student workers going through Title IX process can utilize.
- University of California
- Standard-setting protections against discrimination, harassment and abusive conduct with guaranteed interim measures while investigations are ongoing
Find more student union wins compiled here: