Tag Archives for " Graduate student unions "
NLRB upholds U of Chicago student union
The National Labor Relations Board ruled today that the University of Chicago, in refusing since March to bargain with its graduate student union, “engaged in unfair labor practices.”
The university had sought to overturn Columbia, an Obama-era NLRB decision that allowed graduate students at private universities to organize. In October 2017, Provost Daniel Diermeier argued in an email to students and faculty, “the NLRB has a long history of recognizing that graduate assistants are foremost students, not employees under federal labor law.”
A board majority that is likely amenable to reversing Columbia nonethelessrejected the University of Chicago’s argument today in a unanimous opinion. In its ruling, the NLRB faulted the university for failing “to adduce at a hearing any newly discovered and previously unavailable evidence” or to show “any special circumstances that would require the board to reexamine” the earlier decision.
In a footnote, Republican Chairman John Ring signaled that he’d be willing to challenge Columbia in “a future appropriate proceeding” — one that might stand a better chance of surviving an appeal to federal court.
Are Your Grad Students Next? What Higher Ed Administrators Need to Know About Student Organizing
New CUE Webinar: Are Your Grad Students Next?
What Higher Ed Administrators Need to Know About Student Organizing
The NLRB recently ruled that certain graduate students are employees under the Act. As a result, private universities including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Duke and others have received petitions for election for graduate students.
Join us for a free one hour webinar of March 29 at 3 PM E.T. Register here
This one hour session will cover what you need to know about this latest trend in union organizing, and more importantly, what you need to do now to be prepared.
Here are several links to news stories related to student organizing efforts around the country and some of the implications.
The implications of graduate student unionization
Harvard’s Graduate Students Union Versus the Trappings of Success
Six Yale departments vote to unionize
Union Organizing At Boeing, Yale University, and Elsewhere Show Need For Swift Response
International Students Uncertain of What a Graduate Student Union Can Provide
Service Employees International Union drops Duke organizing petition
In Focus: Northwestern’s graduate student unionization effort diverges despite common cause
Grad students take to polls in historic union vote
CGSU Liaisons Face Graduate Student Questioning
Graduate students team with USC Forward to establish union
Go to College, Join a Union!
Go to College, Join a Union
It’s not shocking or anything, but according to a report from Politico Pro, the U.S. Senators from the state of New York are involving themselves in the organizing of graduate students at Columbia University. This comes on the heels of the organizing at Yale which we wrote about last week in which SEIU and the grad students filed several “micro” unit petitions in an effort to gain several election wins very quickly.
Now comes another typical campaign tactic in the form of using pressure from politicians to elevate the issues and pressure the President at Columbia.
Here’s some of the letter from the Dem Senators:
In the wake of a National Labor Relations Board ruling last month that said graduate students are employees and may unionize at private universities, the lawmakers urged Columbia to refrain from any actions that might hinder graduate students’ right to do so. They asked that Bollinger commit to an “open, transparent and free” union election process, and that he agree to negotiate a contract should the graduate students vote for union representation.
The senators wrote that Columbia is “fueled in part by countless research and teaching assistants,” and that collective bargaining would help employees “ensure positive working conditions.”