We may only be in the second week of class, but it’s never too early to look into graduate schools. And if you’re looking into private universities for your potential graduate program, good news! Graduate students now have the right to unionize.
On Aug. 23, the National Labor Relations Board ruled graduate teaching and research assistants at private universities have the right to collective bargaining, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Graduate students at private universities haven’t been able to unionize since 2004, when the same board ruled against their having collective bargaining rights.
This decision is a major boost for students’ rights across the country. Graduate teaching and research assistants have a lot of the same responsibilities as professors, but they get next to nothing in compensation. Most get some sort of tuition exemption and a small stipend, but that typically comes out to far less than the median post-secondary teacher’s salary of $72,470, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Graduate students obviously shouldn’t get that full salary. But these students still have bills to pay, and the average age for graduate students is 33 years old, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s page on graduate students. My point is, mom and dad probably don’t help them out financially.
They need enough money for food, rent and other bills, and they need decent health insurance.
Why did the NLRB reverse its 2004 decision? Well, the board’s party composition has changed. According to the NLRB website, Republicans ran the board in 2004. Now, Democrats are in charge.
Board members serve five-year terms, with one board seat up for reappointment every year. The president, with Senate confirmation, appoints members to the board.
Although a person’s political philosophy is more complex than any political party can represent, the GOP is typically against unions, and I could not imagine Donald Trump appointing someone for students’ rights to that board.
This story further highlights the importance of electing Hillary Clinton. You don’t have to like her, but you shouldn’t vote against your economic interests.
Cody Sibley is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Opelousas, Louisiana.