Hello Graduate Assistants!
Every year, legislation is introduced in the Maryland General Assembly which would grant graduate assistants the right to collectively bargain. We are writing to provide an update on this year’s bill (SB0521) and to sincerely thank all of you for your feedback and questions.
This year’s bill has not been voted out of the Senate Finance committee which means it will not be voted on by the full Senate and therefore has no chance of passing, as today, April 12th is Sine Die, the last day of legislative session for Maryland’s General Assembly. We, as UMBC’s Graduate Assistant Advisory Council, did not take an official stance this year. We have spent a significant amount of time collecting your thoughts and questions, speaking with graduate students throughout the University System of Maryland, working with UMBC’s Graduate School leadership, and conducting a thorough analysis of the bill with input from several state lawmakers and the Comptroller of Maryland.
As part of these efforts, we hope to continue holding listening sessions this Fall to hear from you.