Correction
The story below states that the Concerned Graduate Students Association is talking to a representative from the United Auto Workers in their effort to unionize. In the weeks since they contacted UAW, they have begun working with American Federation of Teachers representative Meagan O'Brien. It was O'Brien that was escorted off campus, not Christine Sweeney.
In reaction to the recently announced graduate tuition policy over a third of the graduate population has sign a petition opposed to the policy, the Concerned Graduate Students Association has formed and is now considering a number of options including undertaking a unionization effort.
“We’ve tried just about all the other options. There’s no way to prevent other policies like this from coming down in the future,” said graduate student Torin Monahan. He cited the concerned graduate students petition, recently unfruitful negotiation efforts, and being denied a meeting with President Jackson.
While 551 graduate students signed the petition, at this point it is hard to determine the genuine amount of interest in unionization. At first meeting held in Folsom library late last month, Dean of Students Mark Smith, accompanied by Institute lawyers, asked United Auto Workers Representative Christine Sweeney to leave campus.
Smith believed that meeting was an organizational meeting and was thus illegal without the permission of the Institute.
“Our policy as a university is that our employees don’t have representatives—employees can come and go as they please,” said President Jackson.
“When you get into labor law you must treat everyone equally. We have a process whereby union representatives can enter campus. One [rule] is that union representatives can’t organize on our campus.
According to members of the CGSA, the group’s intention is not so much to fight implementation of the new graduate tuition policy and its accompanying transition plan, but rather to ultimately be in a position to tackle future graduate policy issues as they arise.
“If [unionization] happens, we’ll have a legitimate say in the process, in a way that no other group on campus does,” said Monahan.
The process of creating a legally sanctioned union on campus is quite lengthy. First, 30 percent of those eligible have to sign union cards. These must then be submitted to the National Labor Relations Board which holds a hearing to decide whether to recognize the graduate students as a body of employees. If recognized, the students hold a vote concerning unionization. If 50 percent plus one student votes ‘yes’ then the union is officially recognized as a bargaining unit on campus.
According to James Shaw, president of the graduate students union at University of Massachuetts, Amherst, “the next step is electing a bargaining committee from members of the graduate student union, and then as a union decide position on issues like wages and health care. The final step is then voting as a union on these positions before negotiations begin.”
In the best case scenario they see the process taking one year. But “it depends how hard the administration fights it as well,” said CSGA member Laurel Reilly-Raska.
“Individuals have the right to choose in every organization whether private or public employees have the right to choose,” said Vice President of Human Resource Curtis Powell.
Powell believes that students needing representation as highly educated graduates is oxymoronic.
While the Institute is legally barred from retaliating against organizers, and as officials have independently indicated that retaliations won’t occur, members of CGSA are concerned about unofficial actions. “It’s a concern, certainly … We’ve done nothing wrong,” said Reilly-Raska.
Monahan believes that all but the most vocal student will be protected through anonymity, “Unless you are overt and vocal, there’s really no room for retaliation.”
The CGSA recognizes that there are concerns from all involved parties in how this effort will change the relationship between faculty, administrators, and graduate students. Monahan and Reilly-Raska believe there is no risk of damage to the student-advisor relationships, and that the movement’s goal is not to change that relationship. They say the goal is to gain leverage in negotiations with the Institute.
“Most faculty are sympathetic,” said Reilly-Raska.
Powell said that based upon what he has observed at other universities, he believes unionization will change the dynamic in the current relationship.
“Administrators across the nation have said that unions have cause a strain in the relationship on the academic side. Graduates students’ educational work and effort will see the most drastic change,” said Powell.
Shaw has had a different perspective at U-Mass, Amherst. “It doesn’t effect the faculty-student relationship; negotiations do not reach the level of individual relationships we negotiate with the central administration and set minimum wage, health care policies, and job descriptions” said Shaw. “It removes questions and tension because all the rules are in place and it frees faculty and students to focus on academic projects,” concluded Shaw.
“Students should not panic or overact—there are issues and it may seem like the Administration moved too fast, or there was no participation in the process. But does this give cause to obtain union representation? Will a union be able to change this policy?” asked Powell.
“Part of becoming prestigious means going through these growing pains,” said Mohanan, who suggests unionization may be an indicator of being “world-class.”
