On Sept 19th, 20th and 21st, we voted overwhelmingly to officially certify our union, the Graduate Employees of Northeastern University – UAW (GENU-UAW). We began our organizing in 2015 as many other grads at universities like Columbia, Harvard, and NYU began organizing. We were ready for our election in 2016, but because of the anti-labor policies of the Trump administration, we had to wait.

  We need a union now more than ever.   Graduate workers are fundamental to Northeastern’s educational and research mission. We teach, grade papers, perform cutting edge research and more. Simply put, the university works because we do. But too many of us struggle with the sky high cost of living in Boston. Rent and fees are becoming more prohibitive, forcing us to move further and further away. Despite Northeastern’s annual increases in tuition and a $1.4 billion endowment,  some of us are earning just $26,000 a year or making nearly minimum wage. Over the past several years, our work demands have continued to grow as our wages and benefits remain stagnant. It is not sustainable. Below are some of the reasons we’re voting yes for our union:

Making one of the most expensive markets in the country affordable

Graduate workers are often forced to find two or three roommates to be able to afford living in the Boston area, and often need to move every year to find a more affordable home because of rent increases. Some of our advisors often work hard to try to help, but ultimately the decision of our pay is made above them.

With a union, we will elect graduate workers to sit across the table with the Northeastern administrators who do make these decisions and negotiate a standard of living that allows us to focus on providing the highest quality teaching and research. 

At other universities, graduate workers have been able to negotiate for improvements to raise the standards:

At Harvard, where they paid some graduate workers minimum wage ($12.15 at the time), unionized graduate workers have been able to win increases to $21 per hour.

At WPI, grads won their union election in November of 2022, and just voted to accept their first union contract with 15% raises

Fighting for quality healthcare

The healthcare plan here at Northeastern is not good enough. We experience out of pocket costs that are too high and face a shrinking pool of providers in the area. We often struggle to find mental healthcare providers that take our insurance and tend to wait long times to see someone. Furthermore, comprehensive dental and vision care are practically non-existent. 

Other unionized graduate workers have been able to sit down and bargain for significant improvements:

At the University of Connecticut, the graduate workers were able to bargain significant improvements to their healthcare while dramatically reducing their out of pocket costs.

At Harvard, they were able to win $375K in funds to help offset out of pocket costs of their healthcare

Protections for international graduate workers

International graduate workers have the same exact rights as domestic workers in the United States, allowing them to participate in the union. Due to visa restrictions international grads are often part of our most vulnerable communities, because they are unable to obtain an additional off campus income. Furthermore, they pay additional tuition fees, experience a higher cost of moving to Boston, and have their visa status looming as a constant threat which administrators and faculty often exploit. By bargaining together we can ensure in our contract that domestic and international students have the same protections and working conditions.

At other universities, unionized grads have been able to win additional support for international workers.

At Harvard University, they won more than $100,000 in funds to help offset costs associated with visa requirements, including legal fees.

At WPI, they won further protections from federal abuse (pg. 11), requiring law enforcement to provide warrants before turning over information to federal agencies. 

Protections from harassment and discrimination

Northeastern University has a systemic problem with harassment and discrimination.  With attempts to intimidate BIPOC and Trans organizers on multiple occasions, and the exploitation of international grad labor,  we are forced to navigate a system designed with only the university’s best interests in mind. 

With a union, we can bargain for better protections, including neutral third party binding arbitration. This process puts a case in front of a neutral arbitrator, hears the facts of the case, and makes a decision based on the facts. Because they are paid by both the union and the university, they are not bound to either. 

At other universities, graduate workers have been able to win better protections from harassment and discrimination.

At UConn, graduate workers won arbitration for harassment and discrimination cases.

At WPI, they have just won similar protections!

Protections from academic abuse

We graduate workers are often proud to go the extra mile due to our commitment to research and quality education, but sometimes advisors take that commitment and exploit it, damaging our personal lives and mental health. This behavior not only harms the reputation of the university, but it forces good researchers and teachers out of their industries– often in a discriminatory way. 

With a union, we can bargain for protections from abuse of work, including workload protections and requirements like ensuring that we have the right equipment, workspace, and protections from working in dangerous circumstances. 

Workers at Columbia (see “Workweek”), Harvard (Article 16), UConn and WPI have all won protections from abuse, ensuring they can continue the work on their degree without having to face unrealistic demands from abusive advisors.

A more equitable workplace

With a union, we hope to bargain for improvements for our marginalized members. 

Parents. Graduate workers have won benefits for parents such as guaranteed lactation stations on campus, and can negotiate for assistance with childcare costs. In addition, with the harassment, discrimination and bullying grievance procedures mentioned above, we hope to help grad workers feel comfortable with their choice to become a parent.

LGTBQIA+ Community. Graduate workers have won protections from discrimination for sexual orientation, gender identity and expression at many universities. At WPI, graduate workers won protections and a commitment from the university to help assist graduate workers through a gender transition. At the University of Michigan, unionized grad workers won a host of gender affirming healthcare coverage rights.

Sexual Harassment. Graduate workers at UConn have won the right to pursue sexual harassment claims through the union, rather than just Title IX which historically has only functioned to protect universities from liability rather than victims.

More Graduate Worker Voices

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a union?

Why the United Auto Workers?

Will I have to pay union dues? How much do I pay?

Will I have to go on strike? Will it negatively impact the progress of my research?

Will international students benefit from joining the UAW?

Q. Were the Unfair Labor Practice charges against Northeastern’s admins dropped?

Membership Updates