"I believe that difference between the stipend and living standard cost is much more higher. One graduate student can not bear the living cost with the existing amount they are getting."
"I SUPPORT THE CBB because it empowers us to assert our needs should the university ever fail to address them. The fact that the school has tried to advocate against it shows that we need that security. Studies consistently show that GAs are better paid and have better benefits if they're unionized than if they aren't."
"I think we should have the right to be more involved in the negotiation of our reimbursement for the work we do on campus and for campus"
"Graduate students and GA's in particular consistently feel unsafe and undervalued in their contracts and have no where to go since we are 'trapped' by our desire to further our education. We also have no one to talk to since the chain of command goes to our supervisors and GPDs, which are not always sympathetic to our worries"
"Graduates should have the option to unionize as it will give us a voice and those with GAs in genera are not given enough support in the university."
Some of the sentiment by the minority against the bill:
"I don't see the need for a union, and I don't think unionizing is going to improve the quality of my experience at UMBC"
"I do not agree with this bill because it does not actually guarantee us anything. It doesn't seem worth it."
"-Potential to lose FICA exemption
-Potential to have health insurance premium increase (which is currently $0); our current health insurance is very good and not something I would want to lose. Also, as a graduate student, income from stipend is already low --having additional annual costs (e.g. insurance premiums) would make things even more difficult
-Potential decrease in graduate assistantships --this is already low and barely covers cost-of-living for most students"
