With their recent emails characterizing graduate students working toward a union as “the Autoworkers,” the Northeastern University administration has once again demonstrated that its primary concern is maintaining control over graduate workers rather than making a serious effort to engage with us. The latest mass email sent out by the administration, filled with inaccuracies and misinformation designed to scare graduate workers away from unionization, is an example of the same tactic employed time and time again by university administrators across the country when they are trying to bust unions.
On the advice of their corporate lawyers, university administrators often seek to find ways to create uncertainty because they know that together, we will create a democratic voice for better work conditions on campus, including everything from pay, healthcare, childcare, protections for international students, better transportation discounts, and more. They used the same tactic during the adjunct instructors unionization campaign – and it’s important to know that the adjunct instructors won.
The Graduate Employees of Northeastern University – UAW has been organized and run by graduate student employees since Day 1. We’re proud to partner with UAW, which represents more graduate workers than any other union – nearly 40,000! Our aim is simple: to gain a seat at the table where decisions about our pay, benefits, and working conditions are made.