The GSA senate voted to submit testimony in favor of SB0118 (HB0751) to allow collective bargaining rights to University System of Maryland Graduate Assistants. Post-hearing testimony has been sent to all members of the MD Senate Finance Committee. The testimony bases its support on advocacy from almost 100 UMBC graduate students in a poll of graduate students, in addition to offering support for graduate assistants on other campuses who have not reaped much benefit from the current meet and confer process. The written testimony can be found here.
Full poll results can be found here.
Here is some of the general sentiment expressed by graduate students in support of the bill.
"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"
For those interested in joining in support of the bill, the Fearless Student Employees will be having a rally in Annapolis to advocate for collective bargaining rights on March 15th, at 12:00 PM. Carpooling and RSVP here: https://forms.gle/qTq9Ktb7GCEZMYJr5
]]>
