A Look at Northwestern’s Graduate Student Union

ODDS ARE YOU’VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT UNIONS IN NATIONAL NEWS LATELY, BUT THERE’S ALSO A FAR MORE PERSONAL LABOR MOVEMENT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

[SUMMER PAPPACHEN] Raising awareness about a contract negotiation we’re going through on your very campus, your TAs, your RAs, all of us we’re in a union. I don’t know if y’all know that. We don’t have the best working conditions here at Northwestern University

THAT WAS PART OF A SPEECH GIVEN BY SUMMER PAPPACHEN AT AN EVENT HELD ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 20TH. PAPPACHEN IS A GRADUATE STUDENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND A MEMBER OF THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE WORKERS, A LABOR UNION ALSO KNOWN AS THE NUGW.

NOW UNIONIZING ISN’T A NEW THING, IT’S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE MID 1800S. HOWEVER THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, THE FEDERAL AGENCY THAT HANDLES UNIONS, HASN’T ALWAYS ALLOWED SOME GROUPS OF PEOPLE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE PROTECTIONS. MAINLY GRAD STUDENTS.

[KEVIN BOYLE] It’s gone back and forth over the years saying are graduate students who get paid for their work, are they eligible to use the structures of the National Labor Relations Board?

THAT’S KEVIN BOYLE, PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND CHAIR OF THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. 

[KB] And so in 2000, the National Labor Relations Board said yes, they are. And then in 2004, the National Labor Relations Board said no, they’re not. And then in 2016, they said, Yes, they are

THIS 2016 DECISION INVOLVING GRADUATE WORKERS FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SAID THAT GRADUATE WORKERS AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES ARE EMPLOYEES, AND THEREFORE CAN FORM LABOR UNIONS. 

THIS IGNITED A LOT OF UNIONIZATION EFFORTS INCLUDING ON NORTHWESTERN’S CAMPUS. A MONTH AFTER THE COLUMBIA DECISION THE NUGW WAS FORMED.

NOW WHILE A MAJORITY OF THEIR EARLY WORK WAS MAINLY INTERNAL: SETTING UP A CONSTITUTION, GETTING FUNDING, AND OTHER CAMPAIGNS SUCH AS PUSHING THE UNIVERSITY TO GIVE MASKS AND OTHER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO LAB WORKERS IN THE SPRING OF 2020 AND SUPPORTING THE “COMMUNITY NOT COPS” MOVEMENT ON CAMPUS.

FOLLOWING THAT, THE NUGW BEGAN TO SEEK OUT UNION REPRESENTATION WHICH LED THEM TO FIND THE UNITED ELECTRICAL WORKERS UNION. NOW THIS MIGHT INITIALLY SEEM LIKE AN ODD CHOICE FOR A UNION SINCE THE UE ORIGINALLY DEALT WITH WORKERS WHO MADE ELECTRICAL GOODS. BUT KEVIN BOYLE, NORTHWESTERN’S HISTORY DEPARTMENT CHAIR, OFFERS AN EXPLANATION. 

[KB] That work has really seriously declined in the United States. And so what unions are looking to do is find new sources of membership.

WHICH INCLUDES GRADUATE WORKERS. SO WHEN JANUARY OF 2023 ROLLED AROUND, THE NUGW HELD THEIR UNION ELECTION. EMMA KENNEDY, A GRADUATE STUDENT IN ART HISTORY RECALLS THIS CRUCIAL MOMENT FOR THE NUGW. 

[EMMA KENNEDY] We won!One my birthday! And the energy around the election and thousands of people coming out to vote was a really powerful moment for me personally and for the journey of the union.

THIS NOW PUTS THE NUGW IN THE BARGAINING PHASE AS THEY WORK OUT A CONTRACT WITH THE UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE WHICH COMPRISES OF FACULTY MEMBERS AND OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION LIKE HR OR FINANCE WORKERS AND LAWYERS. 

BARGAINING SESSIONS BEGAN IN JUNE, AND THERE’S BEEN A DECENT AMOUNT OF PROGRESS MADE. AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN REACHED ON THINGS LIKE ACCESS TO LACTATION ROOMS FOR PARENTS OR CREATING CLEAR  JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL POSITIONS

HOWEVER, THE GRADUATE WORKERS STILL HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT STILL HAVEN’T BEEN ADDRESSED AS KENNEDY SAID

[EK] Higher stipends, better healthcare, dental insurance, I also really want vision insurance because I have glasses

AND ON THIS NOTE OF WAGES, SUMMER PAPPACHEN, A POLITICAL SCIENCE GRADUATE STUDENT, BRINGS UP ANOTHER VALID CONCERN

[SP] We don’t make the living wage right now! We make 30k, 37k but in Evanston the cost of living is like 60k and we don’t make that.

BUT THE BIGGEST HOLDUPS ARE WITH TWO MAIN PARTS OF THE NUGW’S PROPOSED CONTRACT AS ESTHER KAMM, CURRENT NUGW CO-CHAIR AND GRADUATE STUDENT IN THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT NOTES: 

[EK] We’re fighting for a non discrimination article that allows graduate workers to file grievances through their union contract about discrimination or harassment. It doesn’t prevent them from going through a university policy, but it gives them another avenue.

AND

[EK] The other major non economic article that we’re still negotiating is called union sharp. And that simply means that when a contract goes into effect, everyone who is covered by that contract will be protected by that contract legally, a union has to defend everyone and has to support everyone through a grievance procedure.

THIS STALLING HAS BEEN COMPLICATED AS KAMM AND THE REST OF THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE FINDS THEMSELF FACING SOME BUREAUCRATIC CHALLENGES.

[EK] In an institution as large as Northwestern, it’s been a struggle to get some of the information that we’ve requested from them. So for instance, we need or have asked for a list of all of the graduate students that the university believes to be covered by the contract. And that list we are still waiting on after a number of weeks.

THIS THEN CAN LEAD TO NEGOTIATIONS DRAGGING ON EVEN LONGER AS BOTH SIDES LOOK TO HAVE ALL THE FACTS BEFORE AGREEING TO ANYTHING. THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AND NORTHWESTERN ADMINISTRATION NEVER RESPONDED TO REQUESTS FOR COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER.

THE NUGW JUST FINISHED ITS 10TH BARGAINING SESSION ON OCTOBER 19TH. IN THIS MEETING THEY REACHED THREE TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS INCLUDING A FORMATION OF A JOINT COMMITTEE BETWEEN THE NUGW AND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR RESOLVING ISSUES OF CONCERN. NOTABLE THOUGH IS THAT THE ISSUES OF UNION SHOP AND NON-DISCRIMINATION REMAIN UNRESOLVED. 

AS A LABOR HISTORIAN AND MEMBER OF THE NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY, KEVIN BOYLE FINDS THIS CURRENT MOMENT ON CAMPUS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING

[KB] I think it’s a really fascinating thing to see. To see grad students picking up what is their right to do if they had decided on campus by a vote, which they had last year, if they had decided they didn’t want that first. That’s their right to, but I think it’s a really fascinating turn to see. And it’ll be exciting to see how it all turns out.

FOR PEOPLE LIKE ESTHER KAMM AND THE NUGW AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY FIND THEMSELVES AS PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN JUST ONE GROUP OF STUDENTS.

[EK] Unions are showing from coast to coast that collective power through people organizing with their co workers, really has the ability to shift the dynamic and offer not just better wages, better benefits, but a better power dynamic in the spaces where we work, teach research, and hopefully thrive

NUGW’S NEXT BARGAINING SESSION IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 1ST.

FOR WNUR NEWS, THIS IS GRACE JORDAN-WEINSTEIN AND SOPHIA CASA.