Tampa, FL – On November 4, Graduate Assistants United (GAU) negotiated with the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees over the union’s pending contract. GAU’s stipend proposal was made on July 17. However, after months of stalling, the USF negotiations team returned with a measly 2% increase in their counterproposal.

For PhD graduate workers, this 2% increase would be about an extra $432 per year while for master’s graduate workers, this would be an extra $306 per year. This equates to less than $40 extra a month, which, with rising inflation, does little to help these workers. Around 80% of graduate assistants at USF are at the minimum stipend, meaning they need to work a second or even third job to make ends meet. If this 2% increase were put into effect, this would put graduate assistants at USF below the poverty line.

International graduate assistants mentioned concerns about stipends, as many of them dependent upon VISA status, can only work on campus and many cannot afford to travel home during the university’s slow months.

Additionally, the topic of fee relief was discussed at this session. As said by the GAU team, “Graduate assistants pay an average of $800 in fees to work which is taken out of their stipends.” It had been proposed that USF take $250 off in fees to aid graduate assistants. In response, USF said they “cannot agree to fee relief.”

USF GAU President Tessa Barber said, “With record enrollment, record research funding and record donations, a proposed 2% increase is frankly an insult and disservice to all graduate students.”

The University of South Florida was recently accepted into the AAU or Association of American Universities. One of the main stipulations for being invited to the AAU has to do with the research a university is producing. GAU’s stipend proposal was based on 10% below the median stipend for fellow graduate assistants at AAU universities.

The main articles of the contract that are still being negotiated relate to finances and protections for international students.

The next bargaining session is pending as the USF Board of Trustees must meet to agree to another counterproposal for the stipends.

#TampaFL #FL #Labor #GraduateStudents #GAU

Tampa, FL – On Thursday, August 28, at the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa campus, the Tampa Graduate Assistants United (GAU) continued negotiations with representatives of the USF Board of Trustees to discuss the rights of international graduate assistants and update their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society were in the audience.

After a month of GAU introducing Article 26, an article aiming to protect international graduate assistant (GA) rights, the USF bargaining team gave a shameful response to GAU’s proposal. After disrespecting GAU’s time and coming into this bargaining session late, the USF bargaining team, without providing a counterproposal, the proper method during bargaining, declined to negotiate Article 26 at all. The USF bargaining team spoke in a low quiet voice, refusing to make eye contact with GAU and the audience.

With approximately 40% of graduate assistants being international students, GAU’s goal has always been to fight for protections for international graduate assistants.

“Considering the political climate and the attacks that have been levied against international students more broadly, we felt that it was really necessary to introduce protections for international students,” Tessa Barber, the USF GAU president and member of the GAU bargaining team, stated. “Even if it's just keeping Immigrations and Customs Enforcement out of classrooms and private spaces.”

GAU was rightfully infuriated upon hearing this response from the USF bargaining team. “They’re [USF bargaining team] not even being neutral about it.” Morgan Amick, the membership chair of GAU, noted. “They’re taking a stance against international GAs.”

USF has a track record of attacking international students. Most recently, the USF police department signed onto the 287(g) program from ICE, giving the campus police department the authority to perform detentions and attacks on local immigrant communities.

Despite this shameful reaction from USF’s bargaining team, GAU refused to let this response stop them. Tessa Barber asserted that Article 26 “is of grave importance to us at the bargaining table, it’s not something we’re willing to back down on.”

The next bargaining session is tentatively scheduled for September 10 at 1 p.m., with the location to be announced, where GAU will continue to fight to protect the rights of international GAs. “GAU is committed to standing with international graduate assistants and staying strong at the table to advocate for support and protections for them,” Tessa Barber insisted.

#TampaFL #FL #LaborMovement #StudentMovement #GAU #SDS

Tampa, FL – On Friday May 16, the University of South Florida (USF) and the Graduate Assistants United (GAU) had their second round of negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. Media and supporters from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society were in the audience as the GAU team bargained and argued against USF’s counterproposals and as they introduced their own.

The negotiations started on April 25, and continued this session with Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the 24-article collective bargaining agreement. GAU aimed to make wording in these articles clearer, so USF no longer gets away with not providing offer letters on time to graduate assistants. They are also working to have graduate assistants paid on time, as USF often delays the first two-week paycheck at the beginning of the semester because of their paperwork not being filed in time.

Article 4 is about the Employee Evaluation File, a singular file which would show graduate assistants’ evaluations and comments throughout their employment. USF has chosen not to continue graduate assistants’ employment before without explaining their reason, and so GAU wants to avoid situations where there is no clarity as to why their contracts are not renewed. They have also fought to have USF pay for any necessary redactions to these files, as USF claims it is a burden on them even though it is a needed security measure.

Speaking on the importance of the negotiation, GAU president and member of the bargaining team Tessa Barber said, “Typically there is that employer-employee dichotomy, that power structure there, but bargaining levels the playing field to improve our conditions not just for ourselves but for anyone who comes after us.”

Barber stated, “We hope to gain improvements for our working conditions, greater protections for employees both in and out of the workplace, in terms of any engagement in extracurricular activities. And especially considering the volatile political climate at the moment, strengthen protections for all employees, particularly vulnerable communities who may be impacted by political decisions going on right now.”

The next bargaining session is scheduled for May 30 at 1 p.m. in the Patel Center of the USF Tampa campus, and GAU expects to have the bargaining agreement done by late July.

#TampaFL #FL #Labor #GAU #GraduateStudents

Tampa, FL – On Friday, April 25, collective bargaining began between designated representatives on behalf of the University of South Florida (USF) Board of Trustees and representatives of Graduate Assistants United (GAU). About 20 supporters were present in the audience, including members of GAU, United Faculty of Florida, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society.

The session focused on the first three articles of the 2022-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which consists of 24 articles. Most discussion was centered around Article 2, where GAU had proposed protections for graduate assistants, specifically regarding appointments, terminations, progressive discipline and ensuring timely submission of paperwork. This proposal arises from past issues where graduate assistants were terminated without explanation and faced delays in payment due to paperwork not being submitted on time.

GAU is the exclusive bargaining agent for graduate assistants, providing benefits and protections to graduate assistants through a contract negotiated publicly by GAU and the USF Board of Trustees. In the past, USF GAU has earned safeguards and guarantees such as minimum stipend increases, cost-of-living raises, subsidized healthcare and grievance protections for its members.

Tessa Barber, USF GAU president and member of the GAU bargaining team said that bargaining, “gives us a level playing field to improve our working conditions, to try and improve our stipends, and make a fair and livable wage. It means that we don't have to just take what's given, that we can fight and we can earn something better.”

Barber continued, “Especially in times that are so volatile, as things are now, like in the political and legislative climate, bargaining means that we can do our best to protect those that come after us, even if the laws change and the conditions change, because the contract still stands.”

GAU hopes to improve the living and working conditions of graduate assistants, and gain more tangible protections for graduate assistants, especially those of vulnerable communities, such as the LGBTQ and international students. They also demand an increase in stipend and protections around free speech from the university.

The next bargaining session will be on May 16 at 1 p.m., where representatives of the USF Board of Trustees will be countering some of the proposals made by GAU.

#TampaFL #FL #Labor #GAU #USF #Contract #SDS

Gainesville, FL – The Graduate Assistants Union (GAU) and allies from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied against student fees leveled upon graduate students at the University of Florida, Aug. 16. Volunteers began by leafleting and talking to teaching assistant employees about the importance of banding together and fighting for the union that provides them with healthcare and pay stipends. Many graduate students are surprised to learn that without the union, fees would go up every year like other campuses. Now the GAU union hopes to eliminate the fees, making graduate school more affordable for everyone. Most graduate student employees understand how poorly the administration treats them, despite teaching almost 50% of all undergraduate courses.

Halfway through the University's orientation for new teaching assistant employees, GAU Chief Steward Jose Soto and volunteers from SDS delivered an in-depth presentation about the importance of the GAU's current campaign – eliminating all student fees for graduate students and providing more accessible education. Hundreds of students and teaching assistant employees began chanting “No more fees!” in spite of university administrators sitting uncomfortably in the front row of the assembly room. “Workers at Wal-Mart and McDonald's don’t pay to work there, so why do employees at UF pay to work here?” Soto asked. During the next break period, many students signed up to be union members at the GAU table.

Then at a GAU lunch outside the assembly hall a spontaneous rally came together. The GAU’s Jose Soto delivered an empowering speech urging teaching assistant employees to fight for the elimination of student fees. Richard Blake, a member of Gainesville SDS, said, “It's great to rally with the graduate employees who teach our classes and educate people about the benefits that a union brings to their workplace.” SDS will continue to lead the fight for education rights, for accessible education and support the struggles of working people for better pay, benefits, and a good quality of life.

#GainesvilleFL #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #GainesvilleAreaStudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #studentFees #UniversityOfFlorida #GraduateAssistantsUnionGAU #GAU