Today’s virtual bargaining session was a difficult one, with many disappointments. Even so, our team is committed to bargaining in good faith in these troubled times. Strong employee protections are even more important in the current climate, and the team is working hard to reach a favorable agreement soon.
Now for the disappointments: University HR rejected our language on employee training, which mandated more training covering important topics like sexual misconduct and inclusive teaching. They also rejected our proposal to expand tuition waivers to those working low fraction positions, despite the fact that tuition is a huge burden for those graduate students. In addition, University HR rejected our proposals on sustainable procurement, water testing, gender-inclusive restrooms, and other important employee rights. And finally, they rejected our proposal to expand the number of DEI GSSAs, which ensured diversity labor would be properly compensated.
There were some productive conversations today on letters of recommendation and access to office space for meeting with students. In addition, our bargaining team presented our counter on sexual harassment and misconduct protections and had some productive conversations regarding that plank. Our team is hopeful about making progress on those issues.
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