Indiana University's graduate student labor dispute explained: Here's what to know

As thousands of students arrive at Indiana University's Bloomington campus, there's some unfinished business from last spring's semester. For the past several months, thousands of graduate workers have been locked in a stalemate with IU's administration. The issue? Recognition of a student labor union.

With another strike vote scheduled for September, here's what to know about the graduate student labor dispute at IU.

What are student academic appointees? How many are there at Indiana University's Bloomington campus?

There are approximately 10,000 graduate students on IU's Bloomington campus. While many graduate students subsidize their tuition and living expenses through outside employment, fellowships or loans, about 2,500 graduate students work as student academic appointees (SAAs). SAAs work for the university and are compensated through a stipend. Depending on their department and position, they also may receive departmental grants and tuition remission.

The latest:IU Bloomington grad workers will be paid more, charged less

SAAs, or graduate workers, fill positions such as associate instructors, research assistants and faculty assistants. Their work is typically related to their area of study with specific responsibilities depending on their contract.

Graduate workers also receive health and dental insurance coverage if they work at least 15 hours per week. Since they are classified as students, graduate workers are limited to less than 20 hours per week and their position is term-limited with most lasting a single academic year or semester.

Why do IU graduate workers want to unionize?

The Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition currently lists about 1,800 graduate workers as members. The coalition has requested an end to mandatory fees, equity for international students, a wage increase to meet the cost of living in Bloomington, annual raises and fair benefits.

Graduate students have been required to pay fees for things like technology and transportation services. International students also pay an additional $714 per year in International Student Fees. Graduate students have argued these fees should be waived.

Early this month, Provost Rahul Shrivastav announced mandatory and course-related fees are now covered by the university.

While graduate workers have a pre-existing grievance procedure through IU, the IGWC has requested a separate grievance procedure maintained by the labor union. According to IGWC, a union-based grievance procedure gives more leverage to graduate workers and promotes accountability.

How long has the labor dispute been happening at Bloomington's campus?

Graduate worker unrest has manifested at different points over several years, and the current, organized effort, spearheaded by the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition, began in 2017.

More:Indiana University interim provost rejects graduate labor union request

The most drastic moves by graduate workers occurred within the past year or so. In March 2021, hundreds of students marched through campus, requesting mandatory fees be waived for those who work at the university. In a letter, Lauren Robel, then provost, rejected the demand, noting all students pay these fees and graduate workers are first and foremost students. In the summer of 2021, the IGWC affiliated with the United Electrical Workers, a national union representing thousands of workers in public and private sectors.

Coalition members went on a labor strike for four weeks near the end of the spring semester, threatening to not submit grades or proctor exams for undergraduate classes. The strike was suspended in early May.

What has been the IU administration's response to the labor dispute?

Provost Shrivastav launched a specialized task force focused on bettering the graduate student experience.

The task force, which currently has committees on financial support and health and wellness, is expected to make immediate and long-term recommendations. The task force's committees comprise faculty and graduate student representatives.

In late July, Shrivastav shared the first slate of recommendations, some of which he and President Pamela Whitten have agreed to implement for fall.

Per the task force's recommendation, IU Bloomington now covers mandatory graduate student fees of $1,435 currently paid by all SAAs, in addition to covering course-specific fees for their programs.

IU Bloomington also increased the minimum campus stipend for graduate workers to $22,000, alongside a mandatory review process of SAA stipends every two years. IU administrators said this pay increase moves IU Bloomington from the bottom of Big Ten universities in average graduate stipends to the top half. The dean of the IU Bloomington Graduate School will regularly analyze stipends to ensure that IU Bloomington's rates remain in the top half of the Big Ten.

Can the graduate worker labor dispute impact IU's undergraduates?

Graduate workers who fill in as instructors of record are responsible for teaching an entire class on their own. Some assist faculty members by recording student grades and proctoring final exams. If these workers were to go on strike again in fall, it could affect undergraduates. For example, during the spring semester strike, many faculty were worried about how grades would be submitted.

The IU administration has asked faculty members to have contingency plans in case another labor strike occurs. Faculty members involved in the American Association of University Professors' Bloomington chapter voiced opposition and urged faculty not to make these contingency plans.

What have IU faculty said in response to the labor dispute?

In May, almost 2,000 faculty members weighed in on the graduate student labor dispute in the first emergency faculty council meeting since 2005. In two resolutions that overwhelmingly passed, faculty members supported graduate labor union recognition and asked for no retaliation against those who were involved in the spring strike.

When the board of trustees reaffirmed its anti-union stance, a letter signed by nearly 300 Bloomington IU faculty members criticized how the recently appointed senior administration has handled the graduate worker labor dispute.

New trustee:Indiana University trustee wants grad worker labor dispute resolved 'without a union'

While the board of trustees have said the channels of shared governance are the best communication route, faculty noted resolutions it has passed, which extended support of a graduate worker union, affirm the idea of shared governance. Faculty say their sentiments were ignored, leading to a "breakdown" of these channels.

In the board of trustees' May 31 letter, the trustees noted any graduate worker, staff or tenured faculty member who does not uphold their work-related responsibilities will be subject to consequences outlined in various policies.

How many universities in the Big Ten Academic Alliance are unionized?

Five out of the 14 universities in the Big Ten Academic Alliance have recognized graduate student labor unions, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rutgers University and University of Iowa. At some universities, such as Northwestern University, graduate workers have organized but have not been recognized by the administration.

What's next?

The IU graduate workers strike is currently suspended, but the IGWC will host a vote on Sept. 25 on whether to resume. The trustees have warned of "consequences" related to disrupting campus operations, such as non-reappointment of graduate workers or immediate termination from their position. However, many IGWC representatives have been vocal about continuing the labor strike.

Contact Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com or @RachelSmithNews on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Why Indiana University-Bloomington grad students might strike again