Video-GSRAs speak out: Benefits of unionization

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Hi, I’m Rob Gillezeau, and I am a former GSRA, GSI, and fellowship holder in the Economics Department at the University of Michigan.

I served as the President of the Graduate Employees’ Organization during our last round of contract negotiations with the university while I worked as a GSRA myself. I, along with dozens of other GSRAs volunteered in that round of contract negotiations because we wanted to help improve the working conditions of our colleagues and also recognizing that when GEO bargains a contract for GSIs, it tends to improve working conditions for GSRAs as well. I also recognized that it was pretty likely that I work as a GSI again during my time at Michigan. However, during my entire period volunteering in that campaign, as a GSRA, I lacked the basic workplace protections that my GSI colleagues had access to.

I support forming a union for GSRAs because I believe that you shouldn’t lose your workplace protections just because you happen to be employed as a research assistant instead of a Student Instructor. And in my department, the Economics Department, these protections are fundamentally important. It’s because of the union that my department, they had to stop paying GSIs late, and we stopped having our health care lapse well into the fall. It’s because of the union that we’ve maintained our office space for graduate students and maintain our lounge space. And it’s because of the union that our department now informs us of GSI hiring in a timely manner such that if we don’t get jobs, we have the ability to apply to open positions across the university. I believe that GSRAs in the Economics Department, and across campus, should have access to these same rights that GSIs have accesss to.

I believe that GSRAs are workers and have the right to vote to form a union. And I, like so many of my colleagues, believe that we should exercise that right to join the Graduate Employees’ Organization.  I urge you to get involved in the campaign. Share this video on facebook, get in touch to volunteer, and visit us at gsracampaign.org.