SGWU initiates bargaining course of with College

Stanford Graduate Employees Union (SGWU) rallied in White Plaza on Nov. 2 to have fun the start of its bargaining course of with the College — and to name for the inclusion of fellows into the union.

A counter-protest occurred to sentence the SGWU’s current ratification of a “Palestine Commerce Union Solidarity Assertion.”

SGWU is the formal platform from which graduate employees can have interaction in collective bargaining with Stanford. For months, the SGWU labored on growing a bargaining platform to advocate for higher working situations. On Nov. 2, the language contract proposals had been ratified with a sweeping 96% approval. 

“We’re going to chant to ship a message to Stanford that we’re united, that we help our bargaining committee and we’re prepared for a good contract, which incorporates fellows,” mentioned fifth-year utilized physics Ph.D. candidate Chris Gustin.

Through the rally, SGWU audio system highlighted present issues that graduate employees face, together with late funds, discriminatory acts that go unpunished and insubstantial funds, amongst others. SGWU organizers claimed that the newly ratified bargaining platform will combat in opposition to all these points.

“Our contract will permit us to implement its phrases and maintain those that violate them accountable,” mentioned Chloé Brault, a seventh-year Ph.D. candidate in comparative literature. 

For the SGWU, a high precedence of the rally was to advocate for fellows’ inclusion within the union.

“Stanford has indicated beforehand that it doesn’t think about graduate employees on fellowship to be employees or to be workers. And we strongly disagree … with out us, Stanford loses its major foreign money,” mentioned Tania Flores, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Iberian and Latin American cultures.

As fellows and organizers delivered speeches, counter-protestors at the back of the group often shouted varied slogans akin to “Resign, resign, your union is a hate crime.” Over a dozen held indicators in protest, one learn “democracy or revolt.” 

After concluding speeches, SGWU members walked to Tresidder Memorial Union, the place their elected bargaining committee engaged in negotiations with College administration on the second flooring. SGWU members carried indicators in help and chanted “Stanford works as a result of we do.” Some learn “One bargaining committee, 5000 united graduate employees.”

The rally “was energizing. A whole lot of SGWU members confirmed up and confirmed that they’re able to combat for a powerful contract for the inclusion of fellows,” mentioned Flores, who’s the lead SGWU organizer for the division of literatures, cultures and languages.

The counter-protesters criticized the emphasis on unity. Based on a consultant, their frustration comes as a result of SGWU ratified a Palestine Commerce Union Solidarity Assertion with about 65% of card-signing members approval. 

The Nov. 2 assertion reads, “SGWU stands in opposition to the unlawful occupation of Palestine, the mass ethnic cleaning of Palestinian individuals and the apartheid system below which Palestinian individuals dwell, and we urge our employer to do the identical.” 

In a flier for the counter-protest, the group wrote that the SGWU’s assertion on Palestine “demonizes the State of Israel and calls on the College to divest from Israeli-affiliated corporations.”

The spokesperson of the counter-protestor group, a Ph.D. candidate who requested anonymity on account of concern of retaliation, believes that this situation will affect the long run negotiation course of. 

The SGWU’s “discriminatory acts outshadow [its] bargaining platform … I imagine the bigger matter is that the College is now conscious that many college students don’t totally help the actions of the SGWU and its discriminatory insurance policies,” they wrote in an announcement to The Day by day. 

Counter-protestors hoped to “be sure that SGWU by no means once more oversteps its bounds as a labor union and places politics earlier than individuals,” the spokesperson wrote.

Flores mentioned the counter-protesters don’t injury the SGWU’s unity. 

“65% of our membership voted in favor of the assertion in solidarity with Palestinian commerce unions, expressing a transparent dedication to the labor motion’s lengthy custom of worldwide solidarity, and 96% of our members additionally voted to ratify our bargaining platform,” Flores mentioned. “I believe it’s very clear that we aren’t divided.” 

The SGWU shared bargaining updates since its first bargaining session on Friday, the place it offered its non-economic bargaining platform primarily based on increasing employee advantages, establishing the union’s long run energy and profitable a grievance process to permit SGWU to implement a contract extra successfully. In response, Stanford’s bargaining group has proposed College Tutorial and Administration Rights. 

Stanford’s proposal “constitutes an try and retain full management over just about each side of our employment,” Flores mentioned. 

Based on Flores, Stanford has completed extra to point out that it’s not in favor of the union’s creation. Throughout Friday’s bargaining session, the College insisted on calling graduates “workers” reasonably than employees and indicated that they’re unwilling to incorporate problems with discrimination as grievable points, Flores mentioned.

College spokesperson Dee Mostofi wrote, “We’re dedicated to bargaining in good religion with the union, and we’re targeted on having a productive set of negotiations.”

Because the SGWU continues in its bargaining course of, it plans to interact a wider sect of graduate college students. 

“It is a actually, actually thrilling time within the historical past of SGWU … Graduate employees actually have the chance to assist form the union,” Flores mentioned. “We hope that as many graduate employees as attainable will take part within the choice making that lies forward.”