Local News

‘We are trying to transform our lives’: Boston University grad students pledge to continue strike until demands are met

“As long as we don’t see proposals we feel comfortable with, we’re gonna be out on the picket lines. The ball is in BU’s court," one BU grad student and bargaining committee member said.

Graduate workers picket outside Marsh Plaza.

By Adora Brown

3 minutes to read

Graduate workers at Boston University have now been on strike for five days, as union members clash with the university over issues including pay, healthcare, and work loads.

On Monday, May 25, the Boston University Graduate Workers Union (BUGWU) began a strike. Their primary issue is pay, with graduate workers making between $25,000 and 45,000 a year, the union has said. 

BUGWU began bargaining with the university for a new contract nine months ago, and has said their concerns are still not being addressed. An overwhelming majority of students authorized the strike in a vote earlier this month, according to a union press release.

Advertisement:

And through the grad workers’ union, part of SEIU 509, five unfair labor practice charges have been filed against BU.  

“They might say that they heard our concerns and understood our concerns, but then would summarily dismiss our articles or edit them so heavily they were unrecognizable,” said Maggie Boyd, a sixth-year English student. 

Boyd receives an 11-month stipend with the English department, meaning she goes a full month each year without pay.

At this point in her degree, she is facilitating classes on her own. Each semester, Boyd is responsible for tasks like leading the class, preparing for it, designing a syllabus, holding office hours, and grading assignments. While BU claims that grad student workers work twenty hours a week, Boyd says it takes far more time to prepare a meaningful class. 

Advertisement:

But the grad students’ struggles go beyond their stipends or hourly pay. Even with an income lower than the livable wage in Massachusetts ($46,918, according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator) workers have brought healthcare, workload protections, international student protections, and housing affordability to the bargaining table. 

What’s happening now?

The first day of the strike drew a large crowd, including support from Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley. 

On Tuesday, smaller groups of union members were posted outside Marsh Plaza and the 808 Gallery. Chants of “no contract, no peace” resounded through the plaza. 

Graduate students walk in circles outside the Marsh Plaza shouting chants.
A graduate worker holds a sign saying “Honk! To support grad workers.”

BU responded on Tuesday in an email to graduate students. The institution made the decision to withhold pay from students who were striking. And, salaried students who decide not to strike will have to attest to their hours every week as proof. 

In a statement to Boston.com, the college said: “We value our graduate students and their many contributions to teaching and research and will continue to address their needs through the collective bargaining process. At the same time, we are concerned about the strike’s impact on teaching, research, and the lives of thousands of other students, and we are working to minimize that disruption.”

The bargaining process

With another bargaining meeting approaching quickly — currently scheduled for April 1 — workers hope their concerns are heard by the institution. 

Advertisement:

Nana Boateng is in his final year of a law degree. As a member of the bargaining team, he meets with administrators to negotiate proposals. 

“We are trying to transform our lives, and BU is offering slight, minimal increases to keep as much of the status quo as they can,” he said.

The institution refuses to consider the cost of living in their wage counter proposals, Boateng said. He himself spends about half of his monthly wage from BU on rent, he said.

“We crafted a wage proposal with the idea that we didn’t want to be rent burdened, and they told us that was not a consideration they were making,” Boateng said. “Rent burdened” typically refers to households that spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent.

Healthcare is also a major concern for many of the graduate workers. The current plan the institution provides does not cover specialist visits like the dentist or eye doctor. And when emergencies happen, workers often pay out of pocket, union members said.

Boyd had a hospital visit two years ago that ended in emergency surgery and a hefty bill. 

“I was constantly stressed about how I was going to afford it,” Boyd said. “We have so little pay on a standard basis that it’s very hard for us to form savings to use in emergencies.”

Advertisement:

Until their demands are met, BUGWU plans to continue their strike. 

“As long as we don’t see proposals we feel comfortable with, we’re gonna be out on the picket lines. The ball is in BU’s court,” Boateng said.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com