On January 16, IGWC submitted a petition to IU President Whitten signed by 1,300 graduate employees, asking for a pathway to union recognition and a living wage. We asked for the Administration to open a dialogue with us and requested a response by January 29.
That date has come and gone.
Should we be surprised by Whitten’s disrespect for graduate students? The Whitten administration has, in recent months, demonstrated an extreme inability to comprehend the most basic tenets of academic freedom and shared governance. Need we say it again? In 2022, faculty voted in 1404 to 509 to establish a pathway for union recognition for graduate employees. Whitten has simply ignored the will of the faculty.
Since taking office, the Whitten administration has not made one gesture of communication with the IGWC despite our repeated attempts to open dialogue.
IGWC is now in its fifth year of life, has a significant treasury, a monthly income of $3,000 funded by dues-paying graduate students, two paid staff organizers, a permanent office, and a $60,000 strike fund. We are the biggest and most active organization of graduate employees on campus. The majority have clearly demonstrated their support for our union and collective bargaining. We are here to stay!
Members, join us at the next General Membership Meeting this Sunday, February 4, from 4-6 p.m. at the Monroe Public Library, Room 1B-1C. We will begin discussing our response, including whether we want to begin the process of building toward a strike this semester.
Though we must move forward, we would much rather be engaged in dialogue with the Whitten administration. The future of higher education at Indiana University is at stake. Will IU become a place where only the wealthy can go to graduate school, or will higher education be accessible to all? What happens in the coming months will make a difference.
Members, join us on Sunday! Your Union Needs You!!!
