University of Chicago Graduate Workers Are Trying to Unionize
Following recent victories at Yale and Northwestern, graduate student workers at the University of Chicago are voting on whether to unionize at the end of the month. We spoke with workers there about the history of their effort and what they think is next.
University of Chicago graduate student workers after submitting a petition for union recognition to the National Labor Relations Board. December 1, 2022. (UChicago GSU – UE / Twitter)
On January 31 and February 1, graduate student workers at the University of Chicago will vote on whether to unionize with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). This will be UChicago grad workers’ second attempt at winning union recognition through a National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) process; though workers voted to unionize by a large margin in 2017, the university refused to voluntarily recognize the union, and the union withdrew its petition before the NLRB in fear of an adverse ruling by the conservative Trump-era labor board.
The vote comes on the heels of a union election victory by grad student workers at nearby Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, who also unionized with UE, as well as another win by grad workers at Yale University unionizing with Local 33 UNITE HERE. Jacobin’s Sara Wexler spoke with UChicago worker-organizers about the history of their unionization effort and what they think is coming next.
Sara Wexler
Can you tell me when and how the organizing around the union started?
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.