Be Informed about Graduate Assistant Unionization at UNR, UNLV, and DRI

What NSHE says

What NSHE leaves out

Dear Representatives on behalf of NGSU-UAW, Thank you for your letter dated November 21, 2024, in which you requested a meeting to discuss formal recognition of your union.

Chancellor Charlton agreed to schedule a meeting with GAs when we delivered our letter on November 21, 2024, but then ignored all further communication for the following eight weeks. This letter is the first response since then.

Currently, neither the Chancellor nor NSHE presidents have authority to formally recognize or negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with your union.

Both the Chancellor and the NSHE presidents can respect the democratic decision of a supermajority of GAs to form a union. 

Formally recognizing our union and starting negotiations will involve simply extending the collective bargaining process already used by NSHE classified staff to GAs. We have requested a meeting to discuss next steps but have not received any dates from NSHE. Additionally, there’s nothing stopping NSHE from immediately agreeing to a count of union authorization cards by a mutually agreed upon third party to verify that a majority of GAs have signed cards (the first step in the recognition process).

Instead of trying to evade responsibility for respecting our democratic choice, the Chancellor and NSHE presidents should publicly affirm their commitment to advancing the recognition process.

Additionally, concerns with “pay and benefits” identified in your letter may not be financially addressed through a collective bargaining process without corresponding legislative action. (See, e.g., NRS Chapter 288.505(1)(c)); Board of Regents’ Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 4, Section 9).

The NRS and Regents Handbook provisions that NSHE cites do not apply to Graduate Assistants. NSHE is trying to make themselves seem powerless without action from the state legislature, when in fact these provisions do not prevent other NSHE employees from bargaining collectively over pay and benefits, as well as other non-economic issues.  According to a recent survey, 79% of GAs do not feel like their pay and benefits are sufficient to cover their living expenses. Reasonable increases to wages and benefits would improve the quality of teaching and research, and NSHE can use funds appropriated by the legislature to make such improvements. 

Moreover, the Chancellor’s focus on pay ignores the fact that 1 in 4 GAs have experienced or witnessed discrimination in the workplace based on identity or status and 1 in 4 have experienced or witnessed retaliation for raising workplace issues. Issues like these are addressed in collective bargaining agreements at other institutions and have motivated GAs here to form a union. 

While we look forward to partnering with NSHE to advocate for greater resources, it’s untrue and misleading to suggest that GAs and the university can’t begin bargaining over wages, benefits, and other working conditions until there is legislative action. In fact, a majority of the NV legislature is calling on NSHE to exercise its authority to recognize our union.

Nevertheless, the presidents of our respective institutions and I would like the opportunity to better understand the challenges Graduate Assistants may be facing and, in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, explore potential solutions to those challenges outside of a collective bargaining setting.

Without collective bargaining, the university is the unilateral decision maker on all aspects of GA working conditions. Over 1,500 GAs signed union authorization cards, not so that we can “explore potential solutions,” but so that we can have an equal say over our working conditions. 

GAs have spent years giving input on how the university can do better, only to see little to no change on the crucial issues we face. It’s time for the university to come to the bargaining table and negotiate as equals with GAs.

While I understand this may not be the response you had hoped for, please know that I deeply appreciate everything our Graduate Assistants do to further the mission of our System, and I look forward to working with you to better understand and address your concerns

GAs make quality, affordable education possible for tens of thousands students annually. We drive new discoveries and innovations that maintain UNR and UNLV’s Carnegie R1 institutional status. We helped bring in over $294 million in federal research grants and contracts and $565 million in state support for instruction in 2023.

Appreciating our work as Graduate Assistants starts with respecting our democratic choice to unionize. It means working collaboratively with GAs on solutions rather than creating friction between the administration and those performing the bulk of the teaching and research. We plan to take up the administration’s offer to meet and urge them to reconsider their position in the coming weeks and start working with GAs to move the union recognition process forward. GAs won’t stop organizing and taking action until we have a seat at the bargaining table.