The main benefit of unionization is that it gives us the ability to advocate for ourselves through collective bargaining. This is the reason why all professors and postdocs at UConn Health are already unionized. Collective bargaining enables equitable terms of employment to be established in the workplace. UConn Health has already demonstrated that the conditions of our employment will always grossly benefit the employer over the employee.
Some current areas of redress:
Higher Wages, cost-of-living raises...etc
Better benefits (healthcare, childcare, vacation...etc)
Non-discrimination and anti-bullying training
Equity and Inclusion
Collective bargaining is a tool/resource granted to unions. It grants the union the legal power to negotiate with a voice that represents all members. This is not granted to organizations like the GSO.
In any employer-employee negotiation, collective bargaining is the surest way to ensure good faith negotiations and forces the employer to honor the terms of any agreement. It is the only way for employer-employee negotiations to take place on an equal footing
Click here if you have a suggestion on what should be included in a new contract
“Our average grocery bill has not jumped up 11% but jumped like nearly 50% and we cook from scratch and are prolific coupon clippers. It is ridiculous that inflation increases the price of everything yet somehow the cost of labor stays the same? We were earning $32,000 in 2019, that would be roughly $36,500 in 2022. Is UCHC saying that we are worth less now than we were three years ago? They say that they increase our stipend every two years but it took them three to increase our stipend to $34,000, less than half of what the increase should have been.”
-Jonathan
"I found out that only graduate students are not part of a union at UConn Health (even the PIs have a union). The recent stipend increase is well below the current inflation rate and barely covers my rent increase. I like visiting friends in Boston over the weekend, but gas prices have skyrocketed, and it is getting very expensive to fill up my tank every week. I think forming a union will help our voices be heard, protect our rights as employees, and provide us with opportunities to negotiate for better pay and working conditions."
-Deepa
"I want a union because I think everyone should be treated fairly and equitably. I was a part of the UConn GEU the first year of my PHD before transferring to UConn Health, and I not only saw how strong of a community the union has created among graduate students, but also witnessed the immense support it has provided to graduate students who need it. I think it's way past time for UConn Health to have a union for graduate students!"
-Mikayla
"Over my first two years as a member of the Biomedical Science program at UConn Health, many have seen cost increases in countless facets of our lives. Personally, the rent for my apartment unit has increased by $200 this past year, and the cost of groceries and household necessities for everyone continues to rise. Due to this, I believe that the formation and organization of a graduate employees’ union at UConn Health will work effectively to represent our graduate students and employees, helping to secure increases to annual stipends and necessary benefits and protections. If graduate employees can unite and become recognized as a unionized body, our collective interests must be heard and addressed by the administration of UConn Health."
-Travis
"Unions have the power to make sure we are fairly and equitably treated. Furthermore, the rapidly increasing cost of living has not been adequately reflected in wages for graduate employees here at UConn Health. Salary adjustments should be routine as they are throughout other sectors and reflect the great value we bring to our institution. Alongside my colleagues, I have worked hard to bring prestige, funding, and acclaim to UConn Health. However, I do not feel we have been reciprocally valued by the University. Alongside increases in monthly bills and medical expenses not covered by insurance, it is especially frustrating to see that other graduate employees in our state, performing comparable work, are bringing in a salary 33% greater than that of myself and my colleagues."
-Nathan
"I was surprised to learn that graduate students could be a part of a union, and that UConn Health graduate students were not included in the union at UConn Storrs. Out of all the UConn campuses, UConn Health graduate students are the only ones that have not unionized. While other UConn graduate unions have been able to bargain for raises each year, UConn Health students did/do not have that ability and thus are getting paid less for the same amount of work. With inflation my rent has increased by $600 this past year and other living expenses have only gone up. I believe graduate students should make enough to not worry about their living expenses, and that forming a union is a step forward in the right direction."
-Iris
"As an international student I often felt like my voice was drowned out when it came to student or employee matters due to my lack of status and political power in the USA. Through my discussions with current union members, I learned that not only is my voice heard but rather amplified. Unions work and move as a collective ensuring that all members are heard and advocated for regardless of status. They are not politically aligned and advocating or voting for or against a student/employee matter has no bearing on my immigration status. Through joining the union, I am assured that though in number I am in the minority my voice still has the impact of the majority."
-Kai
"As an MD/PhD candidate, I'm part of a program expected to last 8+ years. While UConn Health is providing fantastic educational opportunities, our current benefits make it nearly impossible to live without a roommate, start a family, or contribute meaningfully to future savings and investments... and that's before you factor in recent inflation. A union brings the possibility of advocating for students and makes me hopeful that our hard work will be compensated fairly in the future. A union will finally give graduate students a seat at the negotiating table during a time when UConn Health's "research revenue has grown every year for the past four years and now exceeds a record $170 million" (Dr. Liang; February 23, 2022). "
-Skylar