RAs are Unionizing!
Research Assistants at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are coming together to fight for union representation. It’s time for RAs to receive the same rights, protections, and benefits as other grad workers at UIUC. Scroll to learn more and join us in this historic campaign!
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UIUC runs on the work of Graduate Research Assistants - it’s time for us to win the fair working conditions we deserve.
We, the more than 3,500 graduate research assistants (RAs) at UIUC are indispensable to our university’s status as a prestigious R1 institution. Although graduate workers’ research activities typically mirror a full-time position while maintaining their graduate studies, many graduate research assistants face difficulties in their working and living conditions including unfair and unlivable wages, inadequate healthcare coverage, unsafe working conditions and research/lab procedures, and a lack of financial support for academic and professional development such as funding for research conferences.
The UIUC RA unionzation campaign aims to incorporate RAs into the Graduate Employees’ Organization, the graduate worker union representing graduate teaching assistants (TAs), graduate assistants (GA’s), and pre-professional graduate assistants (PGAs). By organizing together as a labor union, RAs can obtain and enforce guarantees of their rights in the workplace through collective bargaining with the university.
Want to get involved? Click here to join this historic campaign!
Testimonials
Legal protection of our benefits
“Being a graduate research assistant enables me to explore cross-disciplinary projects in informatics and plant sciences. However, the day-to-day work is often unpredictable: hours in an office behind a desk to baking under the sun collecting field samples. Year-round health insurance coverage is crucial for me to balance my disability, mental health, and my ambitions as a student. It’s not enough that the university can choose to honor or revoke GEO contract wins for RAs - unionization of RAs will legally assure the university will continue to support healthcare for all grad workers.”
- Alexandria Tran, Informatics RA
Fair conditions and fair pay
“Unionization is important to guarantee RAs a living wage. Currently, we benefit from the university matching GEO contract wins; however, nowhere is this guaranteed forever. Additionally, without unionization, RAs cannot benefit from the formal grievance procedure when we receive late pay or notices of appointment. As a first year, I experienced many unexpected fees for my car, pest management in my apartment, and more. The university benefits from and needs the research run by RA labor; we need a union to fight for a living wage, good healthcare and fair working conditions!”
- Becca Cohen, Information Science RA
Support for research and development
“UIUC psychology is a highly ranked graduate program through impactful and innovative research produced by graduate RAs. Despite the prestige resulting from our labor, many graduate RAs in my department face substantial barriers to continue our research and graduate education including livable wages, lack of 11-month appointments, and adequate funding for research conferences. RA unionization is integral to a sustainable psychology department and more importantly livable conditions for our community of graduate students.”
- Raymond La, Psychology RA