For the first time, Saint Louis University’s graduate student workers will be represented by a union. They voted 352-39 to unionize, hoping to secure better pay and working conditions.
After polls closed Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., around 25 graduate student workers gathered at SLU’s Busch Student Center to watch the ballot counting.
When a majority was reached at 8:10 p.m., they burst into celebration, clapping and congratulating each other on their win.
“This feels like the greatest achievement of our lives,” said Zach Davis, a doctoral candidate in American studies. “For the first time in this university’s history, grad workers will have a seat at the table in all decisions that affect them. There will no longer be any conversations about us in which we are not an active participant and so long as this union is around, that is not going to change.”
On Oct. 21, the students filed for a union petition with the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the union vote at two campus locations on Nov. 13 and 14.
Graduate Workers of Saint Louis University Union-UAW (United Auto Workers) will now represent the more than 500 graduate workers at the university, including teaching and research assistants.
“I want to thank all the active organizers who put blood, sweat and tears into this,” Davis said. “To anybody else who thinks that it might be too hard for them to start a union, a bunch of scrappy grad students were able to do it in two years so you can too.”
Ben Conover, a graduate worker in the philosophy department, said he was relieved the union passed after watching his colleagues work hard over the past two years.
“Grad workers here have been working with tough compensation conditions and tough insurance conditions,” Conover said. “I’m really excited people came together to say they want something better and it’s good to see that we got so many people on board … We’re happy to see the success.”
For years, graduate student workers at SLU have raised concerns about their healthcare coverage, insurance benefits, raises and not earning a livable wage. Many also said communication from university administrators about stipends has not been transparent.
Amanda Vannierop, a graduate student worker in the English department, is hopeful the union will support graduate student workers and help them get fair compensation.
“I chose to vote because it’s important to have a collective union, especially for protection of healthcare rights and stipends,” Vannierop said. “We are responsible for teaching one of the most important core classes, and I think that in response we should have our healthcare needs met and a livable stipend.”
Now that the union has passed, the UAW will serve as the bargaining representative. They are entitled to be recognized by the university, and “failure to bargain with the union at this point is an unfair labor practice,” according to the NLRB.
In a statement, university spokesperson Clayton Berry said SLU values the contributions of graduate students and has encouraged them to explore their right to unionize.
“Once the election results are certified, the University will engage in good-faith negotiations with the UAW to reach a mutually agreeable contract,” Berry said.
Graduate Workers of Saint Louis University Union-UAW will join over 36,000 academic workers across the nation represented by the UAW.
“We are proud to welcome you into our growing UAW family. And we look forward to standing up, together, to win your first contract,” said Brandon Campbell, Director of UAW Region 4, which includes St. Louis, in a statement.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a statement from a university spokesperson.
