Summary of Graduate Employee Union Contracts

The following summary was compiled from several graduate employee union contracts. The contracts cover a range of universities, from ones with older and more established unions to those with more recent unions and from large to small universities. Listed below are some major highlights from these contracts. The links included below will take you to each union's home page. For links to the various contracts, go to our Contract Links page or surf each individual union's site.

1. Academic Freedom:

• At the Florida institutions represented by the Graduate Assistants United/UFF/AFT the local has negotiated an academic freedom provision. This section of the contract provides appropriate freedom for teaching assistants to "give their own interpretations of instructional materials used by them -- whether self-chosen or prescribed by the teaching unit -- within the bounds of knowledge and methodologies appropriate to the disciplinary field." It also encourages research assistants to "exercise creativity and sound judgment in carrying out the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological design of the research under the guidance of the research supervisor."
  

2. Anti-Discrimination:

• Many grad unions (such as the GTFF at U of Oregon) have included language in contracts that bind universities to providing detailed information on hiring practices and statistics to ensure compliance with non-discrimination and/or affirmative action policies.
• The GEO at U of Michigan and the TAA at U of Wisconsin (Madison) won contract language that requires departments to post jobs in a fair and open way.
• Most union contracts have anti-discrimination clauses that often include sexual harassment as a prohibited act. Having these in a union contract allows individual grad employees to use the grievance procedure to fight discrimination and they allow the union to take these issues up in meetings with the administration.
• The GEO at U of Michigan negotiated to create a University committee that acts as a watchdog for affirmative action and anti-discrimination. This committee produces yearly public reports on the status of affirmative action on campus.
  

3. Grievance Procedure/Protection:

• All union contracts provide a clear, formal grievance procedure that balances the needs and rights of graduate employees, faculty, and the administration. They allow for a timely and fair resolution of disputes that arise. Most specify strict time limits, end in independent third-party arbitration, and allow the right to a representative.
• GEO's contract at the U of Michigan specifically bars discrimination based on union activity. If discrimination does occur, an individual can then use the grievance procedure to resolve the problem rather than go through unfair administrative procedures or pursue costly legal avenues.
• Many contracts also specify ways of resolving group grievances (similar grievances shared by more than one person).
• Many grad union contracts require the employer to keep personnel files on employees. The employee is allowed to dispute the contents of her/his personnel file. This protects employees from malicious administrators or faculty. All disciplinary action and evaluations are marked in the personnel file.
  

4. Healthcare:

• Many graduate employee contracts provide for University-paid health, vision, and dental benefits.
• GEO (at Michigan) successfully negotiated to allow grads to choose between 8 different plans. Most of these plans are fully paid for by the administration (including family coverage)! Furthermore the majority of contracts allow grads to add dependents (and domestic partners on some campuses) free of charge, add summer coverage, and/or purchase dental and life insurance.
• U of Oregon pays into a trust fund that finances a health insurance program for grads. The fund is run by the union with only one non-voting member of the administration on the fund's Board!
  

5. Hours:

• Hours are usually specified in grad union contracts in such a way that it maintains flexibility throughout the course of the appointment yet guards against abuse.
• The TAA contract at the U of Wisconsin (Madison) requires departments and grad employees to agree on work requirements and peak times prior to the start of an appointment.
  

6. Leave:

• At the City University of New York, U of Iowa, and U of Michigan employees have paid vacation, sick leave, family illness leave, bereavement leave, jury duty leave, and federal holidays.
• The U of Wisconsin (Madison) contract ensures that employees are allowed to observe their own religious holidays even if these days are not federal holidays.
  

7. Pay:

• Many grad unions have won provisions in contracts that incorporate regular raises, cost of living increases, and require the University to cover the cost of job related activities (ie: photocopies, books, etc).
  

8. Undergrad Education/Teacher Training:

• GEO's (Michigan) contract "encourages" departments to have grad representation on curriculum committees and "encourages" employees to give feedback to the department on courses. Furthermore, the union won the establishment of a University committee to study pedagogy and offer recommendations to the Administration. Grads play an equal part on this committee.
• U of Michigan's contract ensures paid teacher training and additional training for employees who use English as a second language.
• U of Oregon's and U of Wisconsin's (Madison) contracts require departments to have ongoing evaluation of (and feedback for) the graduate teachers. In addition, UW-Madison has departments conduct their own trainings for teaching assistants. These trainings include diversity training. In fact, in order to get to the "experienced" pay tier a teaching assistant must participate in an additional diversity training.
• Many grad union contracts require departments to provide suitable places to hold office hours, a phone, and desk space to teachers, and sufficient materials for the TA to do his/her job.
  

9. Workload:

• U of Michigan's contract ensures that grads have a say in determining the departmental class size limit and that each department comes up with a procedure on allowing (or disallowing) individual undergraduate students to enroll over the class size limit.
  

10. Workplace Safety:

• Many grad union contracts have workplace safety clauses. For example, the GSEU at the State University of New York negotiated for a workplace safety committee that includes grads to oversee workplace safety issues. Also, the GTFF at the U of Oregon negotiated for paid training on equipment that poses a safety hazard for grad employees.

Other benefits of having a union include:

• RESPECT as employees who the university can't ignore.
• BETTER COMMUNICATION between the administration and graduate employees.
• A CAMPUS-WIDE ORGANIZATION bringing grads together from across campus and disciplines.
• A powerful, DEMOCRATIC VOICE in the decisions that affect grads as vital campus employees.
• Improved environment for UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION.
• An INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION run and supported by its members -- not the administration. You are the union!

Posted December 19, 2003