BIG BARGAINING UPDATE 

Dear Members,

Yesterday was HUGE. After we told the administration we reached a MAJORITY on our strike petition, they caved on Teaching  – and moved slightly on compensation, discrimination, and healthcare. If you haven’t already, it’s time to join the majority of your coworkers and sign the strike pledge. If you have already signed, ask your friend to sign the pledge as well. Everything we stand to gain at this point depends on the number of commitments we have to stand up for each other. 

COMPENSATION:

• The University’s newest offer is $42,000 minimum stipend. A move in the right direction, but not good enough. Northwestern just reached a FULL TENTATIVE AGREEMENT contract on Wednesday with a $45,000 stipend for Autumn 2024 but only after they signed up 2,000 members on the strike pledge. If we want to get there, every one of us needs to commit. It’s that simple.

TEACHING:

THIS IS MASSIVE: the University understood the threat of over 1600 strike pledges, and has conceded to dismantle problematic features of the teaching structure. This is one of the biggest moves we’ve seen at the table. Here are the highlights (if you are in a department with any teaching requirements, read carefully!):

• The amount number of required teaching requirements to receive the stipend for the duration of the program is stated in the offer letter (aka the offer letter is binding and specific)

• Once a graduate student has met their program’s total requirements, they will be allowed to hold additional teaching assignments and be compensated for each assignment according to the rates in the compensation article. 

• This eliminates both uncompensated additional teaching AND the caps/restrictions on additional teaching for those who want to.

STICKING POINTS:

Compensation, benefits, and non-discrimination, however, remain huge sticking points as we head into our final sessions. The University refused to increase its dental subsidy from 50% to 100%, but we will keep fighting for this. They did offer 25% dependent care coverage and arbitration of non-Title IX discrimination cases. What this means is that the University has opened the door to resolving discrimination disputes outside of its own internal processes if those processes fail. They continue to refuse caste, political affiliation, and immigration status as protected categories in the contract – which is why we need to make them!  

Let’s push past 2000 pledges here at UChicago and show the University that we’re not interested in playing games. We’re showing our readiness to stand up for ourselves and our coworkers for a dignified workplace. 

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee