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  • CORE-UAW Grad Student Bargaining Survey

    I support CORE-UAW in bargaining collectively to reach a fair contract. This survey allows graduate student workers to provide information about our priorities to the elected bargaining committee. They will use the surveys to prepare a bargaining platform on which we will have the opportunity to vote. After democratic approval of our bargaining platform, the bargaining committee can negotiate with confidence for the needs of all student workers. I understand that no one pays dues or fees until after a contract has been democratically approved by student workers.

  • Are you a parent/have dependents?
  • First Year?
  • International?

  • Job Expectations

  • Establish clear job descriptions and notifications: Require timely notification of job-related information, including clear job descriptions with duties and evaluation criteria, pay, benefits, and workplace rights
  • Workload: Ensure the right to address unreasonable workloads.
  • Strengthen Job Security: Protect against unjust termination and guarantee funding
  • Transparency in Decision Making: Increase transparency around lab and departmental funding and reports of faculty misconduct

  • Working Environment

  • Health and Safety: Ensure the right to address unsafe or unhealthy working environments.
  • Space and Equipment: Ensure adequate space and materials, including for remote work, safety, and first aid equipment. Ensure dedicated postdoc spaces, water filling stations, gender-neutral facilities.
  • Disability Access: Increase disability access and services

  • Workplace Rights

  • Degree Attainment: Increase input into timeline and criteria for degree attainment
  • Intellectual Property Rights: Establish clear intellectual property rights, including the ability to be listed as a primary author and protected against listing without consent, and ensure the right to address scientific misconduct.
  • Grievance Policy: Establish a procedure to enforce the contract that includes the ability to take grievances to a neutral arbitrator.
  • Discrimination, Harassment, and Abuse: Strengthen protections against all forms of discrimination, harassment, and abuse including power-based harassment and bullying.
  • Lab Transition: Establish a process to transition between PIs/labs when necessary.

  • Professional Development

  • Job Training and Orientation: Provide adequate research training and orientation
  • Mentorship and Career-Related Resources: Ensure adequate mentorship and resources for career development and teaching, including resources for conference travel. Ensures protected time for professional development.

  • Healthcare

  • Expand coverage and make easier to access
  • Lower co-pays/out-of-pocket costs
  • Establish timely, no-cost access to UMass health and counseling services on campus
  • Provide improved, paid dental insurance
  • Provide improved, paid vision coverage
  • Provide improved, paid mental health coverage
  • Improve family and dependent health coverage

  • Wages

  • Raise base salary
  • Ensure regular salary increases
  • Guarantee advance pay and/or timely reimbursement for work and training-related expenses. (E.g., conference, moving stipend)
  • Establish the right of student workers to discuss and agree on raises and bonuses beyond minimum salary levels
  • Improve compensation for TA work

  • Childcare and Dependant Coverage

  • Improve family and dependent health coverage
  • Guarantee access to and reduced/subsidised costs for on-campus childcare
  • Guarantee and improve paid parental leave

  • Campus Services

  • Guarantee access to affordable, healthy food (e.g. improve resource center, longer cafeteria hours)
  • Reduce parking costs
  • Improve transit options (e.g. shuttle from Union Station)

  • Other Benefits

  • Guarantee access to affordable housing
  • Establish greater support for emergency financial issues. (E.g., healthcare, childcare)
  • Strengthen rights and support for international students regarding immigration, visas and green cards, taxes, relocation, housing, and obtaining resources from IPO in a timely fashion. (E.g., SSN, TAing, travel)
  • Establish a clear process for international students to pursue external internships
  • Guarantee severance pay and benefits
  • Establish access to life insurance
  • Establish access to retirement benefits with combined employer and self-contribution
  • Provide access to free tax assistance
  • Increase vacation time, holidays, leave for family, medical or other reasons
  • Establish access to pet insurance
  • Should be Empty: