Bargaining Update
We hope you saw our previous update about our bargaining session on June 11. During our July 12th bargaining session the GAGE bargaining team dove into a proposal to allow grad workers the option to utilize a transparent and timely grievance procedure which includes the ability to handle harassment complaints that impact our working environments.
In our bargaining survey last spring, 1 in 5 grad workers reported that they had experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace. Less than half of respondents said that they had reported the incidents and only 44 percent of those who reported it felt the university had responded appropriately. This problem is especially acute in the natural sciences, where 80 percent of graduate workers who experienced discrimination or harassment did not feel comfortable reporting it based on current practices the university has in place. That is why we are fighting for a fair grievance procedure for GAGE members, where members can work with their union representative to ensure that their rights are respected.
You can support our fight for a fair contract by becoming a GAGE member today and signing onto our pledge for a fair contract so we can all T.H.R.I.V.E during our time at Georgetown.
Since we started bargaining with the administration in March, our bargaining team has presented a total of twenty-four proposals for our contract. These proposals have addressed a range of critical issues that affect graduate workers across Georgetown, including access to space, tuition remission for graduate workers, and protections for undocumented graduate workers. After four months of negotiations,the administration has yet to respond to thirteen proposals.
The administration is showing us that they don’t take the basic needs of graduate workers seriously. To secure a fair contract, we’ll have to speak up and work together. By signing onto our pledge for a Contract for the Whole Person we can show clearly that we T.H.R.I.V.E during our time at Georgetown.
Share Your Experience
We need to make our voices heard - and we will. We're in this together. When you sign up to share your story, your department organizers and bargaining team members will work with you to help you prepare for speaking to administrators. One of the most powerful tools we have are our personal stories. It may be about struggling to pay rent, experiencing harassment, scrimping to cover surprise medical bills, or any number of issues that affect your work as a graduate worker at Georgetown. By sharing your story, you will show the Administration just how much we need a fair contract and that we are willing to fight for one.
The administration thinks that, by dragging out negotiations, they can stop us from achieving a contract that addresses our needs as human beings, a contract that allows us to thrive during what is often a pivotal period of our lives. We know that our solidarity as a union and community gives us strength. We’ve seen it time and time again. It’s time once more to remind them of our strength. Let’s go.
In Solidarity,
Your GAGE Bargaining and Organizing Committees