MITGSU-UE files for an NLRB election

Big news: Today we filed thousands of union cards with the National Labor Relations Board to initiate our union election. 

We’re excited to kick off the Spring 2022 semester by voting to secure affordable housing, dental insurance, international student protections, fair and clear work expectations, and real decision making power over our working conditions. 

MIT graduate student workers account for 65% of the research workforce at the Institute. As the workers closest to our research, we are the experts on what resources we need in the workplace to successfully produce MIT’s world-class innovations and discoveries. 

 A majority of graduate workers have signed our union cards because we fundamentally deserve a voice in our workplace. Unionizing is the only way to guarantee us legally-enforceable negotiating power to win the tools that we need to be outstanding researchers with a healthy work environment and fair compensation. We are excited to affirm the power we have built together by voting for our union in the NLRB election this coming semester. 

Instead of filing with the NLRB the moment that voluntary recognition was off the table, we decided to spend January working to collaborate with the MIT administration over the terms of our union election. We do not need an agreement with MIT to file for an election and in fact, it is the exception rather than the norm. Nonetheless, we wanted to give MIT admin the chance to show leadership. Unfortunately, the MIT administration has insisted on excluding graduate workers funded by fellowships from our union. As you know, fellows perform the same work in the lab, departments, and MIT community as other graduate workers.The MIT administration’s unwillingness to compromise on the inclusion of fellows made it impossible to reach an agreement. We are ready to affirm our position with the NLRB and intend to win the inclusion of fellows in our union.

While we wait for the NLRB to schedule a date for our election, join us in showing the strength of our collective voice by signing your union card today and showing your support for your union.