At a rally on the quad on Tuesday, September 27, Graduate Students United (GSU) announced the beginning of a new “signing card” campaign that puts graduate student workers on track to win representation in a legally recognized union. Hundreds of graduate student workers from across the University gathered on the quad alongside representatives from Faculty.
At a rally on the quad on Tuesday, September 27, Graduate Students United (GSU) announced the beginning of a new “signing card” campaign that puts graduate student workers on track to win representation in a legally recognized union. Hundreds of graduate student workers from across the University gathered on the quad alongside representatives from Faculty.
Last modified on Wed 24 Feb 2021 12.52 EST
Graduate workers in America’s higher education system are organizing in response to high tuition fees, cuts to staff and faculty positions, reduced budgets and suppressed graduate workers’ right to organize unions. College and university administrations have introduced the measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Job losses have been substantial at US universities and colleges, as student enrollment has declined and reduced public funding for higher education at the state level is leading to drastic budget cuts.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported in December a decline in enrollment of students at postsecondary institutions of 2.5% compared with fall 2019, driven largely by sharp drops in enrollment of undergraduate freshmen at public two-year institutions.
US universities hit by protests over cuts, tuition, right to unionize msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
GSU Organizes Boycott of Student Services Fee, Citing Economic Burden
A GSU sign reads, Ants are cool / So are unions. By
Nearly 500 graduate students at the University of Chicago have pledged to withhold payment of student services fees in a boycott organized by Graduate Students United (GSU).
Participating students have pledged to withhold payment until the University fulfills a list of demands, including waiving the student services fee of $416 per quarter or reducing it to no more than $125 per quarter for the entirety of the 2020-2021 academic year. GSU has also demanded that the University release more detailed information on the use of student services fee, including the percentage of funds allocated to each University service, and that it notify prospective students of the student services fee in advance of their enrollment.