Graduate and Professional Student Senate
(GPSS)
October 2003 – Iowa State University

• What is a union?
• Goals of Graduate Students Unions
• Steps to unionization
• Some statistics about GS unions
• Unions in Iowa (U. of Iowa, ISU)
• References

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English
Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin
Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Section 1: The policy of the United States is to be carried out "by encouraging the practice and procedure of collective bargaining and by protecting the exercise by workers of full freedom of association , selforganization , and designation of representatives of their own choosing, for the purpose of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment ..."
Section 7: "Employees shall have the right to selforganization, to form, join, or bargain collectively through representation of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining..."

Features of Unionization
• Recognition as employees by the University and State.
• Representation of all graduate students.
• Voting rights might be restricted to TAs and GAs/AAs.
• International students have the right to join a union and this right is protected by the Right to Freedom of
Association.
• Separation of Labor Law and Tax Law means no
Social Security contributions.
• Membership dues range from $150 to $250 per year depending on budget and number of members.
References:
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign www.shout.net/~geo/resources/faq.html
A link to unions across the country: http://www.umich.edu/~umgeo/resources/other_grad_unions.html

• Unique status of graduate students as both employees and students.
• Job Contract
• Tuition waivers
• Pay for all hours worked
• Written hiring policies
• Cap on student fees
• Protection from discrimination
• Job security
• Health insurance
• Right to file a grievance if any of the preceding benefits are not provided http://www.umich.edu/~umgeo/about/index.html

The Five Basic Steps
To Organizing a Union http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/org_steps.html
Step 1: Build an Organizing Committee
Step 2: Adopt An Issues Program

Step 3: Sign-Up Majority on Union
Cards
Step 4: Win the Union Election
Step 5: Negotiate a Contract http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/org_steps.html

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/review_of_higher_education/v026/26.2julius.pdf

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/review_of_higher_education/v026/26.2julius.pdf

Case Study: U. Wisconsin -Madison
• Teaching Assistants Association (TAA) involved with grad. student representation since 1967.
• Dues are 1.2% of the gross salary.
• In the past 30 years, the TAA has successfully won:
– a full tuition waiver
– free, comprehensive health care, including basic dental care
– a grievance procedure to ensure fair resolution of work related issues
– sick leave and family emergency leave
– workload limits and overwork protection
– paid, department-specific teacher training
– posting of all jobs to ensure equal access to employment
– child care assistance
– significant gains towards PA-TA pay equity
References: http://www.taa-madison.org/faq.html ;
Contact Person: Ms. Dawn Biehler Publicity Chair (TAA _ Madison)
Email: dbiehler@students.wisc.edu

Case Study: U. of Minnesota
3 – 0 in favor of Opponents to Unionization.
• GradSOC (Graduate Student Organizing Congress) was formed to unionize the graduate assistants.
• Attempt to unionize failed in 1974, 1990 and 1999.
• Eligibility to vote restricted to RAs and TAs.
• Issues that could have caused the reversal of the movement
– Multiple affiliations leading to high cost of membership
– Different wages and wage sources for RAs and TAs – higher wages could reduce RA positions as grant money is used to pay.
– Graduate students have successfully negotiated better health care without outside help and do not feel the need to pay
References: www.daily.umn.edu/daily/1999/04/02/news/gsau/ ; http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/newsservice/Karla/unionvote99.html
; www.daily.umn.edu/daily/1999/05/07/news/end/

• AFSCME is the largest union of public employees in Iowa, representing more than 30,000 workers.
• AFSCME represents organized merit employees here on campus in Clerical, Technical, Blue Collar, and Security positions
• AFSCME negotiates with the State of Iowa and the Board of
Regents
• AFSCME provides a platform to directly address grievances
• Worker benefits and economic stability are the primary issues concerning AFSCME
• Union dues are determined locally by chapter, although,
AFSCME recommends monthly dues around $25/mo.
References: http://www.afscmeiowa.org/

• Free car-buying service and referral
• Discount cell phone service and purchase
• Union hotel rates
• Professional moving service
• Discount legal benefits
• Scholarship opportunities
References: http://www.afscmeiowa.org/

• UE Local 896/COGS represents approximately 2,500 Teaching and Research
Assistants at the University of Iowa.
• Organized in 1996, the members of UE Local
896/COGS dedicate themselves to work for just salaries, benefits and working conditions for all Teaching and Research Assistants.
http://www.cogs.org/faqs.html

• The '01 - '03 contract provides a 4% salary increase each year. Before the Union base salaries for a 50% appointment were $10,500 or, in many cases, much less ... with no health care benefits.
• JULY 1, 2001 Increase minimum salary to:
$14,718 - academic year; 50% appointment
$17,989 - fiscal year; 50%appointment
• JULY 1, 2002 Increase minimum salary to:
$15,330 - academic year; 50% appointment
$18,736 - fiscal year; 50% appointment http://www.cogs.org/faqs.html

• Hours of work and appointment levels were at the whim of the University.
• Salaries for RAs and TAs at the University of Iowa ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten.
• Health insurance was limited and few could afford adequate care for ourselves and our families.
• Paid leaves including sick leave and bereavement leave were rare or nonexistent.
• RAs had no protection against working on holidays.
• Work rules were inconsistent and arbitrary. http://www.cogs.org/faqs.html

• We have protections against overwork. Hours of work must reflect an appointment percentage.
• RA and TA salaries rank in the top half of Big Ten.
• UI Grad Care provides comprehensive, affordable health care for all graduate employees and their families.
• Paid leaves of absence including sick leave and bereavement leave are now guaranteed.
• Like other University employees, all RAs and TAs are guaranteed nine paid holidays.
• Work rules must now be of a reasonable nature.
• Every two years we negotiate a legally-binding contract with the University to protect and improve our salaries, benefits, and working conditions. http://www.cogs.org/faqs.html

• Graduate students annually stipends at ISU vary from $ 13,872 to 26,208 ( $ 1,156 to
2,186 per month)
• Graduate College data

The graphs were created by the committee, based on data from ISU Graduate college.

The graphs were created by the committee, based on data from ISU Graduate college.

• Julius, Daniel J. and Gumport, Patricia J. 2003.
Graduate Student Unionization: Catalysts and
Consequences. The Review of Higher Education,
Vol. 26, N. 2, Winter 2003.
• COGS University of Iowa: www.cogs.org
•
GEO University of Michigan: www.umich.edu/~umgeo/about/index.html
• AFSCME Iowa: http://www.afscmeiowa.org/
• Organization: www.ranknfile-ue.org/org_steps.html