Graduate Student Union Contract Implementation Update (Graduate Student Message)

Dear graduate students,

We write today to update you on the implementation of the newly ratified graduate student union contract. Because we have received many questions about bargaining unit status and benefits eligibility, we are sending this message directly to PhD, MFA, DMA and MM students to address those timely questions.

Starting in September 2024, Northwestern will extend certain benefits at its discretion to students who are outside the collective bargaining agreement-required populations. For example, fully funded (those who receive a stipend and full tuition grant) PhD, MFA and DMA students in their period of funding all will receive the increased stipend and have access to health, vision and dental benefits regardless of bargaining unit status.

A new set of charts on the University’s Union Contract webpage illustrates how key benefits must be applied per the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and when Northwestern will use its discretion to extend them to additional students. A new union contract definitions guide on that page is designed to clarify the application of benefits and terminologies that are becoming increasingly common in the current labor environment.

For contract terms that apply before September 1, 2024, such as the ratification bonus and the June 1 stipend increase, the University is carefully evaluating who is in the bargaining unit and who is not in order to award these benefits accurately per CBA requirements.

It is important to note that not all graduate students are included in the bargaining unit all the time. You will alternate between being in and out based on whether you are providing instructional or research services for the University in any given quarter. For example, different graduate students may have been in the bargaining unit in Winter Quarter 2024 (at the time of ratification) than are in Spring Quarter 2024, so different contract terms will apply as follows:

Only in the Bargaining Unit in Winter Quarter 2024

• Will receive the $1,000 ratification bonus (paid in the April pay period)
• Will receive for the $100 multipurpose payment (paid in the May pay period) if eligible
• Will not be eligible for the June 1 stipend increase (in the June pay period)

Only in the Bargaining Unit Spring Quarter 2024

• Will not receive the $1,000 ratification bonus
• Will receive the $100 multipurpose payment (paid in the May pay period) if eligible
• Will be eligible for the June 1 stipend increase (in the June pay period)

Graduate students who are in the bargaining unit in both the Winter 2024 and Spring 2024 Quarters will be eligible for all three of the above benefits, provided they otherwise meet applicable eligibility requirements.

In the future, new appointment letters will outline the scope of work and whether that work qualifies you to be included in the bargaining unit as defined by the CBA. Again, your membership in the bargaining unit, while important, will be less material in the future because Northwestern is choosing to extend some key benefits beyond that group.

Please note that department chairs, directors of graduate studies and other faculty members do not determine bargaining unit status. Rather, it depends on the nature of your work for the University — whether you are performing instructional or research services for Northwestern — and is governed by the terms of the contract. While “instructional services” are defined relatively clearly in the CBA (i.e., someone who exclusively performs grading, tutoring, administrative work, and/or exam proctoring is not in the unit), “research” is less clearly defined and is different by discipline.

If you believe you have been excluded from the bargaining unit in error during a particular quarter or have questions about how the CBA applies to you, please notify your union representatives, who will in turn work with the University to resolve questions. We appreciate the bargaining unit feedback we have received thus far from NUGW-UE, which has helped to refine this new process.

Many people throughout Northwestern are focused on implementing the contract and supporting you and the faculty and staff whose work is impacted. Teams are working on the following and will communicate about these things soon:

• Formalizing the new appointment letter process
• Finalizing labor management collaboration meeting plans with NUGW-UE
• Distributing the ratification bonus in the April pay period
• Distributing the $100 annual multipurpose payment in the May pay period
• Reimbursing eligible graduate students who voluntarily enrolled in individual vision and/or dental insurance for the period now covered by the University (March-August 2024)
• Publishing details regarding the new international graduate student support fund that goes into effect on September 1, 2024

Please continue to check the Union Contract webpage for regularly updated information and FAQs. You may also submit general questions through this online form. Members of the implementation strategy team monitor this form, respond to inquiries promptly and consider issues raised there in ongoing planning.

We realize that this has been a challenging and uncertain transition for you, as it is for many who support your work and study. We appreciate your partnership and contributions.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor 

Kelly Mayo
Dean of The Graduate School and
Associate Provost for Graduate Education