Yesterday, we held our second bargaining session of the year. We exchanged several counter proposals with the University and were able to reach tentative agreements on two proposals–training and employment records–that give valuable protections and benefits to our members. We’ve reached an agreement that trainings will be compensated as part of a student’s work, and agreed on a process for identifying and filling gaps in training needs. We’ve also agreed with the University on new rights for students to review and contest concerns about their employment records, a critical component of job security.
However, we still have a ways to go. After what we hoped was a productive conversation around discrimination and harassment last year, we were hoping to receive an adequate counter proposal addressing these crucial issues . Unfortunately, what the administration presented today was not sufficient. While the administration has made some incremental movement in increasing protections for student workers, their proposed process still leaves the final decision making in hands of administrators with no option for an impartial third party. This system — in which administrators make the final decision — is no different from the status quo, which has repeatedly failed our members.
If you think you can help us win a stronger contract by sharing your story, please reach out to us at hgsu.general@gmail.com. Also, if you want to get a more personal account of this session, check out our new instagram @HGSUUAW to hear Jenni and Hector give their takes.
While we made some gains in the session today, we had a shorter session than usual, and could have accomplished far more if we had more time. Sign our petition here to demand more frequent and longer sessions so that we can work towards a #ContractNow.
