About
Who we are and what we bargain for.
Graduate Students United (UAW Local 2322) is the union of graduate workers at the University of Vermont. We represent teaching assistants, research assistants, and graduate fellows across every school and college, and we work alongside peer unions on campus and nationally through the UAW.
“Graduate workers are employees. We teach undergraduate courses, staff research labs, and generate the scholarship that defines this university. We are not asking for extraordinary treatment, we are asking for the bare minimum — to be paid enough to live in the county where we work, and for that floor to keep pace with rising costs so we are not back making this same argument in two years.”
— Stipends & Fees Working Group
What we bargain for
A wage that meets the cost of living
Stipend floors indexed to verifiable Vermont cost-of-living data, with raises that keep pace with rent and groceries instead of trailing them.
A real grievance process
Written procedures for raising and resolving concerns about workload, advising, or workplace conduct, with member representation at each step.
Job security and workload
Reasonable workload limits, advance notice of appointments, and protections against retaliation for collective action.
Health, leave, and family support
Affordable healthcare including dental and vision, dependent coverage, parental and medical leave, and accommodations for graduate parents and caregivers.
How decisions get made
The organizing committee meets regularly to set priorities and review correspondence. Major decisions — bargaining positions, public statements, ratifications — are taken by membership vote. Members receive a recap after each meeting and can propose agenda items at any time.
Acknowledgements
Much of the data on this site — the Burlington rent history, the four-year cost increases, and the household shortfall scenarios — was compiled by the Stipends & Fees Working Group dashboard. Members of the working group:
- Baxter Worthing
- Ethan Ratliff-Crain
- Francis Guarascio
- Hannah Gokaslan
Names listed as published on the dashboard. Add titles or affiliations once confirmed with the contributors.
New to the union?
Start with the stipend comparison and the data page to see why members are organizing.