Should You Support the Unionization Effort?
By Aaron Salzman
(This article was originally published in print on April 2023)
In the United States, support for unions has grown for half a decade among young people. A Gallup poll in August 2023 shows that 67% of Americans approve of labor unions, the fifth straight year the results have been higher than the long-term mean of 62%.
This is especially relevant for University of Alaska graduate students, as a movement toward unionization is growing within our university.
For the past two years, a group of graduate students called AGWA-UAW has been growing, aiming to form a graduate student unionization. They argue that, at present, the University of Alaska is the only public R1 or R2 University on the west coast of the United States that does not have a student employee union. As the flagship university in the state of Alaska, much of the research and teaching conducted within the university is dependent upon the work of student employees. AGWA-UAW and their supporters argue that graduate students function as essential workers and deserve to form a representative body.
Unionization is a complex topic. The information about unionization that you receive will often depend on your source, and the source’s stake in the decision. This article will present general pros and cons to unionization efforts, as well as my own opinion as to the unionization effort here at UAF. While I was the director of The Sun Star newspaper, I was also a graduate student within the College of Liberal Arts, which means that I would have been one of the constituents represented by a graduate student union. Take this into account as you form your own opinions on the unionization effort.
There are many reasons to support a unionization effort. The formation of a union allows the potential for the following:
Improved Working Conditions: A graduate student union can negotiate for better wages, health care benefits, parental leave, and other benefits that can improve the working conditions for graduate students.
Better Representation: Graduate students may feel that they don't have a voice in university policies, but with a union, they will have a collective voice and representation in decision-making processes.
Improved Job Security: A union can negotiate for more job security for graduate students, ensuring that they are not at the mercy of budget cuts or other changes in university policies.
Access to Legal Resources: Unions often provide legal resources to their members, which can be invaluable in situations where a graduate student feels that their rights are being violated.
Collective Bargaining Power: With a union, graduate students can negotiate collectively with the university administration, giving them more bargaining power.
These benefits can apply to organizations in which workers unionize in just about any field. In a field where workers are essential to the proper function of their organization, like graduate student assistants are to the university system, a union could be an excellent mechanism to ensure fair compensation and treatment. A union could ensure that graduate student workers have a built-in network of advocates. Students would not have to fight administrative battles alone. A union ensures that there is always an extra figure in the room to support student employees.
In 2023, most graduate students who would be protected by the union receive tuition assistance and a small stipend for their work on campus. However, for many students, the stipend is not enough to cover basic living expenses, like rent, utilities, and groceries. Student fees at the beginning of each semester often act as a massive hidden cost that takes graduate students by surprise. At UAF, a union could help negotiate on behalf of graduate student workers to ensure that workers are compensated fairly according to cost of living and inflation, and try to ensure that student workers are not blindsided by hidden fees. Supporters of the union often point to the fact that, as of 2022, graduate student workers had not received a pay raise in fifteen years.
However, if you’ve ever read a Charles Dickens novel, you know that the formation of a union is not always an absolute slam dunk. The operations of the union are dependent upon a number of variables, most of all, leadership. Who will run the organization, and what will their goals be? How does the union ensure that their goals align with the students that they will represent? Who will the union actually represent? Will the union be able to work with the university, or will it act as an antagonistic force? Listed below are some of the potential downsides to forming a union:
Cost: Union dues can be expensive and may not be feasible for some graduate students who are already living on a tight budget.
Resistance from University Administration: The university administration may be resistant to the formation of a union, which can make it difficult for graduate students to organize and negotiate.
Uncertainty: There is always some uncertainty when starting a new union, as it can be difficult to predict how negotiations will go and what the ultimate outcome will be.
Potential for Strikes: If a union decides to strike, it could limit the availability of work opportunities for union workers for an unclear period of time.
Relinquishing Individual Bargaining: When union representation is involved, it can be more difficult for individuals to engage with members of administration on their own terms. Individuals might have to speak with members of the administration through third party arbitration, like union representatives. In turn, the administration will keep union goals and pressures in mind when dealing with an individual student.
One of the largest questions posed by the formation of a union, or any collective bargaining power, is; what are their goals? Will the goals of union leadership always match up with the body of workers they represent, and how will leadership ensure such alignment? Most graduate students will graduate within three years of arrival on campus. Is this really enough time for students to get involved with the union, form relationships with administration and other bargaining units, and advocate effectively on behalf of the body they represent?
A question that has been posed regarding AGWA-UAW’s specific unionization bid is: who exactly will this union represent? At this stage in the process, the answer doesn’t seem to be clear. The UAF administration has claimed that AFWA-UAW has not been able to clearly answer the question of who will form their representative body, which indicates that they are not ready to move forward with unionization. Those who back the AGWA-UAW have claimed that they have pitched a clear representative body to administration, but their pitch was denied, leaving the efforts sputtering just before a crucial vote could take place.
It’s a fascinating story, one which will play out over the next year, and The Sun Star is looking forward to providing accurate coverage, with the fact in mind that many of our employees and freelancers are graduate student workers who will be directly affected by the outcome of the unionization effort. With such a dramatic story unfolding on our campus, one is left to wonder: which side should you support, and why?
My Take
With a mind towards results, it seems clear to me that the right way forward is to support the unionization effort. At present, graduate students perform essential work that allows the university to function. Some of these efforts include teaching general education classes, maintaining and operating labs, managing websites, and performing field research. These efforts ensure the function of the university. Such workers deserve a collective bargaining unit.
While the office of Student Rights and Responsibilities is a great ally, as are professors and administrators who champion students, graduate students do not have a clear, collective body that is designed to advocate on their behalf. This needs to change.
It is noteworthy that, effective in Spring 2023, the graduate school approved a $6 an hour pay increase for College of Liberal Arts TA’s. Though it was the first pay increase in fifteen years, and some might argue that the increase was a long time coming, it is clear that the university administration is willing to listen when worker’s concerns are brought to the table.
A union representative is just the person to bring graduate student worker concerns to the attention of the administration, and advocate on behalf of the collective body that keeps this university operational. If you are a graduate student worker, I recommend that you check out the AGWA-UAW website, and contact a representative for more information. A vote for unionization will likely be coming within the next year.
Update: In the fall of 2023, in a vote of 314 to 11, graduate students voted in favor of unionization.