International workers comprise over 40% of the MIT graduate worker body, contributing invaluable work, research, and money for the Institute. Yet, international workers often face additional professional, financial, and legal barriers, compared to domestic peers. With the threat of visa revocation, they are often prone to experiencing some of the most egregious forms of harassment, discrimination, and bullying on our campus. Our union is committed to protecting the rights of our international workers. We are aiming to win a contract with one of the best and most expansive international worker rights clauses in the nation. Already, thanks to the power of collective action, we have seen progress at the table regarding remote work appointments for international workers and ISO responsiveness.
However, there are still two key areas where MIT falls short, even compared to other schools. Namely MIT imposes: 1. unnecessary restrictions on access to internship (CPT) opportunities, and 2. inequitable fees on international workers. As these are two of the most important issues to international graduate workers on campus, it is essential to move MIT on these issues. We describe these issues below. We will also be holding a speakout March 22nd at 12pm outside 105 broadway (exact location TBD) to address these issues.