MITGSU-UE calls on MIT Admin to Implement GSC’s Raise Recommendations

Dear fellow graduate student-workers,

The thousands of graduate student workers who have joined MITGSU-UE are adding our voices to GSC’s call to raise stipends and improve financial security for all.

We know graduate research conditions would be directly improved by these recommendations: a 7.4% base stipend increase, financial support for first year moving costs, and an enhancement of the universal Students with Children Grant including a new, need based, supplement up to $20,000.

We call upon the MIT administration to implement GSC’s recommendations immediately.
• We agree with GSC’s that “livable competitive graduate stipends are in the best interest of everyone at MIT”
• We call upon MIT admin to fully adopt all GSC Stipends Committee recommendations
• Our upcoming union election poses no legal barriers to implementing the GSC recommendations.

Sign the “I am voting yes” petition today to publicly stand for lasting, financial security.

GSC’s financial recommendations show that it is always graduate workers who win raises and keep administrators accountable to our needs. Alongside necessary raises, our unionized colleagues at Harvard and Columbia also secured critical, non-financial wins like protections for international students and protections from harassment and discrimination. Their legally binding contracts are enforced by their union grievance provisions to ensure that Harvard and Columbia’s administrations are accountable to their graduate workers.

We call on the MIT administration to do the right thing and implement these recommendations. In our first union contract, we will seek to further improve the working conditions of graduate students by securing affordable housing, dental insurance, fair and clear work expectations and protections for international graduate students.

On April 4th and 5th we are voting yes for lasting financial security. We are proud to take a public stand for the research and living conditions we need. Stand with us, and thousands of graduate student-workers across the Institute by signing the “I am voting yes” petition today.

In solidarity,

MIT Graduate Student Union-UE