Sign this open letter to stand with the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) in their contract negotiations for a living wage.
Grad workers’ compensation should reflect the value they provide to the University. Graduate workers teach a majority of discussion sections and introductory classes, create ground-breaking research, and play a central role to the University’s educational mission.
Despite the value graduate workers bring to the University of Michigan, too many are needlessly struggling with low or no wages. The co-signers of the open letter support GEO’s demand for a living wage of $38,500 (MIT Living Wage Calculator). GEO’s proposals would make for a safer, more equitable, and inclusive workplace and campus.
GEO’s proposals would make attending graduate school at the University of Michigan vastly more accessible. The University of Michigan has the resources to do so. A contract that supports affordability and dignity for all grad workers sends a message to the rest of higher education that at the University of Michigan, graduate worker labor is valued.