Last spring, UConn recognized a union made up of 2,200 graduate assistants, the first of its kind in Connecticut.
But both sides have yet to agree on a contract, and the grad students are getting frustrated with the university.
Cera Fisher is a PhD student in biology at UConn and a member of the bargaining unit for the Graduate Employee Union-UAW Local 6950. Fisher is also a teaching assistant. "In a lot of ways we feel we are the backbone of the university," she said.
Fisher said that's because graduate assistants do a variety of things each week like running classes, giving lectures, grading papers, performing experiments, and analyzing research. The union first submitted its proposals for a contract in August. Since then, Fisher said, the negotiations have been slow going adding to their frustration.
"We have felt invisible for a very long time," Fisher said. "When people talk about students, they're not talking about us. And when people talk about employees, they're not talking about us. But we are both at this university."
UConn's chief negotiator, George O'Brien Jr., said the university does respect the graduate assistants' work. "UConn appreciates the graduate assistants and are very generous to them," he said. "They work a maximum 20 hours a week, 39 weeks a year. In return, they get free tuition, 12 months of health insurance for $200, and a stipend of nearly $25,000." A UConn graduate student pointed out this stipend is for the highest paid GAs. Stipends begin at a little more than $20,000. Graduate employees also pay a dental insurance premium which is an additional $217 a year.
O'Brien Jr. said they're at the half way point for how long a first contract takes saying they've made good progress. "This is the first graduate assistant contract in Connecticut for any college or university," he said. "So we are breaking new ground, and we're trying to reach an agreement that both sides are going to be living with for many years. So it's important to do it carefully, and get things right."
Among the issues the union wants resolved are working conditions, better health insurance, and decreased student fees, which Fisher said right now amount to ten to 20 percent of their salaries. Negotiations continue Friday.
