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BRONX TIMES REPORTER, APR. 15-21, 2022 BXR
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
Fordham University graduate
workers became the latest New
York-based employees to successfully
unionize in a landslide 229-
15 vote — forming a union with
the Communications Workers of
America in an official National
Labor Relations Board election
on Thursday, April 7.
Overworked and underpaid
graduate students expressed relief
at channeling frustrations exacerbated
by the pandemic into
the workforce where employees
were making $15,000 below a living
wage in NYC, and faced unpaid
overtime, rising expenses
and lack of adequate healthcare.
“Today’s success shows that
we can turn our frustrations into
action,” said Anwita Ghosh, a
graduate Teaching Fellow working
in the the school’s English
Department. “Graduate student
workers for too long have been
overworked and underpaid. We
need to be able to afford to live in
this city, and that isn’t possible
when you make below the living
wage for NYC and are not compensated
for working overtime.”
Student employees at Fordham’s
Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences work in a number of
fields, including clinical psychology,
biology, economics and history.
Yet, unlike many other employees
at Fordham and at peer
institutions, they’ve had limited
power over their working conditions,
they say.
The new union’s first contract
includes formal grievance structures,
pandemic-related funding
extensions, protections for international
students, better pay
and comprehensive health care
and child care accommodations.
Starting pay for graduate assistants
is about $26,000 per year, according
to the new union.
In the wake of a historic labor
and organizing effort by Amazon
warehouse workers in Staten Island
and other labor wins for New
York Times tech workers and REI
retail workers last month, the city
continues to see a surge of union
organizing as labor momentum
grows across the country.
A majority of graduate assistants
signed cards in favor of
unionization and sought voluntary
recognition from Fordham
prior to the election. Some of
their demands include increasing
their income, which is currently
between $15,000 to $20,000 a year
and is below the NYC’s 2022 minimum
wage of $27,456.
The university said in a statement
that it is “pleased that the
process played out fairly: we accept
the results of the vote and
respect the student workers’ decision.
We are proud of members
of the university community who
engaged in respectful and constructive
conversation with one
another and with the administration.”
Contract negotiations are
likely to begin in the coming
months, and Fordham said it’s
“committed to working with the
union and its members in good
Fordham University graduate students became the latest NYC employee force
to unionize amid concerns of being overworked and underpaid.
Photo | Aliya Schneider
faith.”
“Fordham University’s teaching
and research would not be
possible without graduate student
workers. The work we do as
teachers, in labs, and providing
other support is critical to keeping
this school running,” said
Jay Plourde, a graduate assistant
working in the Psychometrics
and Quantitative Psychology
Department. “We love and
take pride in the work we do, but
so many of us struggle to pay expenses,
and we are forced to avoid
seeking health care due to unaffordable
deductibles and copays.
We are ready to work with the administration
to get the contract
we deserve.”
Fordham University graduate
students vote to unionize
Congratulations To
Fran Pascale
Peggy Vega
Geri Demers
Joanne Cicero
and all the other
Influential Bronx
Women Honorees
Congratulations To
Fran Pascale
Peggy Vega
Geri Demers
Joanne Cicero
and all the other
Influential Bronx
Women Honorees
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James E. McQuade, Owner
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