OUR PLATFORM
CONTRACT BARGAINING ECONOMIC PROPOSALS
Ensure we are compensated fairly by:
Setting a minimum base PhD stipend of $45,000, or providing a 6% raise, whichever is higher in the 2023-2024 academic year.
Guaranteeing a 6% annual raise for graduate workers or a raise tied to the local cost of living if inflation exceeds 6%.
Setting the minimum wage for hourly workers at $25/hr.
Establishing access to a retirement fund with 3% matching.
Giving MA workers the ability to opt for tuition waivers as compensation for RA and TA positions.
Offering 5% additional pay for lead TA positions and mentoring undergraduates in research.
Enshrine time off through:
Access to 3 weeks/year of paid vacation.
Access to the same bereavement leave, personal days and sick leave policies that staff and faculty receive.
Access to 1 quarter per year of paid family and medical leave.
Access to 4 quarters of unpaid leave of absence without losing benefits.
Ensuring academic standings are not affected by availing these leaves and reinstating our positions after the leave is over.
Improve teaching and research structure through:
Guaranteeing access to RA positions, transitional funding, and optional TA positions if RA positions are unavailable.
Standardizing maximum teaching requirements to 5 credits or less in programs with lower requirements and extending the option to teach beyond program requirements with compensation.
Improve international student support by:
Rebated DS-160, SEVIS, and OPT application fee.
Access to free federal and state tax workshops, attorneys, and filing software.
Offer employee assistance such as
Guaranteed Relocation Assistance of $2000 to every incoming PhD student.
Access to free U-Pass and increased Metra Electric Passes to all workers.
More transparent access to Emergency Grant Funds.
Timely completion of disability accommodations construction projects.
Enshrine community benefits such as
Matching gifts from the University to the Union’s donations to a local food bank.
Increase support to student parents and caregivers through:
Allowing Child Care Stipend to be available for other dependents.
Allowing MA workers to access the Dependent Care Stipend.
Dependent Care Stipend of $5,500 per year for one dependent, $7,500 for two dependents, and $9,500 for three or more dependents.
Subsidized backup childcare.
Need-based reimbursement for up to $10,000/year for dependent care.
75% coverage for health insurance premiums of dependents enrolling in USHIP.
12 weeks of parental leaves and additional leaves as medically necessitated.
Ensure affordable medical benefits by:
Ensuring USHIP coverage for all PhDs throughout their degree and all MA workers.
Having premiums covered for dental and vision plans.
Having all out-of-pocket healthcare costs waived.
CORE PLATFORM
1.
A living wage, always. This plank outlines the need for an increased minimum stipend corresponding with the cost of living in Hyde Park and yearly raises tied to cost of living and inflation.
2.
Guaranteed dental, vision, and comprehensive benefits. This plank identifies the need for better healthcare benefits, including the elimination of out-of-pocket expenses, dental and vision insurance at no added cost, premium coverage for dependents, provisions for mental healthcare, and benefits such as transit passes.
3.
Equitable policies in our labs, classrooms, and community. This plank advocates for fair teaching and research loads that are equitable across cohorts, labs, and divisions; consistent workplace standards and policies toward race, gender, and disability justice in all University-owned spaces; and access to third-party arbitration for processing grievances and union representation in disciplinary proceedings.
4.
Fairness and support for international students. This plank recognizes the inequitable policies that deny international students equal work opportunities and pay and the need to provide monetary support toward visa and other compounded fees faced by international graduate workers. It demands confidential legal counsel and accessible financial support for students without US citizenship.
5.
Transparent budget and power in decision-making. This plank indicates that a lack of transparency regarding campus budget and decision-making is a major issue for the graduate workers that make up so much of the lifeblood of this campus. It expresses the need for both knowledge of how the University spends its money and a seat at the table at every level where decisions are made.