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Grad Assistants Union at UConn, University Reach Tentative Agreement

UAW GAE Union Facebook page
Graduate assistants at UConn hold a sit-in April 21 on the Storrs campus.
"Though neither received all it wanted, both sides were able to secure agreement on the issues that were most vital to them."
Susan Herbst

Last spring, UConn recognized a graduate assistants union. A year later, the university announced it's reached a tentative agreement on a contract. 

The United Auto Workers Graduate Employee Union is the first of its kind at any Connecticut university, representing 2,200 part-time teaching and research assistants at UConn.

After 6:00 pm on Tuesday, university spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz issued a statement:

The University of Connecticut and the Graduate Employee Union-United Auto Workers (GEU-UAW) have reached tentative agreement for a first contract covering 2,200 graduate assistants. The university will recommend to its board of trustees that the agreement be adopted and the GEU-UAW bargaining committee will recommend that its members ratify it in the coming days. Should both the board and the union membership approve the agreement, it will be submitted to the Connecticut state legislature in order to take effect.

The announcement came after the Graduate Employee Union held a sit-in earlier Tuesday on the Storrs Campus.

President Susan Herbst sent an email to UConn faculty and staff announcing the tentative agreement on a three-year contract. "Like any negotiation between two parties, compromise was required on both sides," Herbst said. "Though neither received all it wanted, both sides were able to secure agreement on the issues that were most vital to them."

The compromises include:

  • The UAW/GEU demanded a 20 percent increase to GA stipends over three years; the tentative contract provides for nine percent over three years, which is similar to the increases received by state employees. 
  • The university and the UAW/GEU agreed to the health plan sought by the union, which will be provided at a very low cost to the GAs.
  • The UAW/GEU had demanded three weeks of vacation time, two and a half weeks of additional leave time each semester, and a retirement plan; the union withdrew these demands.
  • With respect to fees, the union sought to exempt GAs from all university fees; the tentative agreement exempts GAs from one fee, and offers a credit against fees of $100 per semester in the second year of the contract, and a $200 per semester credit in the third year.

Herbst said if the contract is approved, "Successfully implementing it and working with a new bargaining unit will present many challenges across the university which will require a great deal of careful planning in the months ahead."
Ameya Akkalkotkar is with the union's Bargaining Committee. "We are excited about this agreement and look forward to focusing on providing quality teaching and research here at UConn," Akkalkotkar said in a statement Tuesday evening. "This agreement respects the contribution we make to the University and we strongly recommend that GAs vote to ratify it as our first contract."

The union applauded improvements in several areas, including health benefits with no premium increases during the three-year agreement, and some relief from university fees.

Below is the WNPR story on the union sit-in earlier Tuesday: 

Madelynn von Baeyer is a member of the union's organizing committee and part-time UAW employee. She said major sticking points include the union asking that grad assistants receive certain stipend increases each year and a waiver of university fees, that all students pay, almost $2,300 annually. "The contract we're negotiating for is to make a living wage because there's an understanding that we come to the university to work," she said.

Last week, President Susan Herbst issued a memo to UConn faculty saying the university bargaining team is making good progress in negotiations. But the memo also stressed outstanding issues the university can't agree on like stipend increases of 24 percent over four years. Von Baeyer said the university is basing this on the union's first proposal. The university also won't budge on waiving student fees.

The memo also pointed out grad assistants receive free tuition but Von Baeyer said that's not a fair point to make in negotiations. "A tuition waiver is standard in every graduate program, " Von Baeyer said. "And to count that as part of our income goes against the social contract that the university is going to foster an environment where we can become professionals in our field in terms of professional development through teaching and research."

There's also disagreement over health care coverage and workload protections. Both sides have a deadline to reach agreement by May 1. Otherwise Von Baeyer said grad assistants may face another school year without a collectively bargained contract.

Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.

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