BUGWU Bargaining Survey (Spring 2024)

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As we prepare to decide if we're going on strike or not, we want to get a sense of which parts of our proposed contract articles would motivate people enough to keep striking until we can get them into the final contract. The main purpose of this survey is to see which issues people are already passionate about, so that we know how to organize around the topics that have less widespread interest/popularity.

We recognize that willingness to keep striking for different issues can change throughout the course of the strike. We won't assume that your answers today would necessarily be the same as your answers a week from now. That said, please feel free to repeat this survey at a later date to give us updated information if your views change.

If you have any questions about this survey, we encourage you to discuss with your coworkers and/or your union rep!

What is your name? *

What is your BU email address? *

What is your non-BU email?

What is your cell phone number?

Choose which option fits you best: *

Master's student

PhD student

JD student

Other doctoral student

Other:

What is your college? *

What is your department? *

What year did you start your program? *

2017 or earlier

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

What year do you expect to graduate? *

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

What is your level of involvement with BUGWU?

I'm just learning about BUGWU

I read the weekly emails

I've attended some bargaining sessions

I'm a union rep

I'm actively involved in some other way(s), not listed here

Have you attended any bargaining sessions? *

Yes- all or most

Yes- some

Yes- one

Not yet

For the following sections, please indicate which issues you are willing to go and stay on strike for as long as it takes for BU to agree to include them in our contract.

These demands have been taken from our collectively-drafted and ratified platform summary

For a life without rent burden…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant articles: Compensation, Payday)

Raise the minimum annual stipend to $62,440/year for all salaried workers

Ensure all PhD students have 12 month appointments

Codify a flexible annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) tied to the median Boston-area rents with a built-in 7% minimum raise

Raise the minimum hourly wage for grad workers to $41.63/hour

Get full tuition waivers for all grad workers, including non-PhDs

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will empower us to collectively protect and maintain our health…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant articles: Benefits, Public Health; the Public Health article was drafted by members of the Disabled, Chronically Ill, and Neurodivergent Caucus)

Improve the existing BU student health insurance plan (i.e., PLUS plan)

Get access to the dental and vision insurance plans available to faculty and staff at BU

Require BU to provide free (K)N95s available in all buildings

Allow grad workers who teach to require masks to be worn in their classrooms

Weekly BU-provided COVID PCR tests when local COVID transmission rates are high

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will regulate our workloads and ensure fair compensation…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant article: Appointments, Workload)

Get standardized appointment letters outlining pay and expectations at least 60 days before start date

Make BU responsible for helping grad workers find a comparable appointment with equitable pay if the appointment is canceled partway through semester

Empower grad workers to demand extra pay for doing work beyond the official duties set forth in the appointment letter (with a 20 hour weekly cap)

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will ensure that we can afford to get to work/relocate to Boston…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant article: Benefits; also see the MBTA Pass Petition from 2022)

Get access to the (cheaper) parking permits available to faculty and staff

Get access to the 50% discount on monthly MBTA passes that are already available to BU faculty and staff

Give all grad workers access to the relocation grant program (a one time $2,500 payment for expenses related to moving to Boston) that is currently only available to some grad workers in GRS

Reimburse visa costs for international scholars

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will guarantee comprehensive childcare benefits…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant article: Benefits; these portions of the Benefits article were drafted by members of the Parents & Caregivers Caucus)

$8,000 annual childcare stipend per child for grad workers who are parents or caregivers

Full semester of paid parental leave

Access to backup childcare program that BU already offers to faculty and staff

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will address our access needs…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant article: Access Needs; the Access Needs article was drafted by members of the Disabled, Chronically Ill, and Neurodivergent Caucus)

Grad workers will not need to provide medical documentation when requesting to have their access needs met (e.g. flexible deadlines, remote/hybrid work, changing on-campus offices or classrooms, etc.)

Expedited and standardized response times for students and workers who submit an access need/accommodation request with Disability & Access Services and Equal Opportunity Office

All grad workers will have free access to a modern state-of-the-art text-to-speech software

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will provide support for training and professional development…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant article: Professional Development)

New international grad workers will have specific and comprehensive orientations about issues that are uniquely relevant to their circumstances

All grad workers who are required to teach will have paid training sessions that occur before they have to start teaching

New grad student orientations must provide an overview of professional development resources available on campus

Up to $2000 per person per year of reimbursements and financial support for travel and equipment related to professional development

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will ensure safety in our workplaces…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant articles: Health & Safety, Nondiscrimination)

Create a Health and Safety Committee composed of grad workers and BU admins for grad workers to report workplace safety concerns to if other authorities fail to act or don’t exist

More support for protecting health and safety of grad workers doing fieldwork

Arbitration process for cases of abuse and harassment to ensure timely and meaningful responses

Establish a Transitional Funding Program that would allow grad workers to transition out of unhealthy working relationships without worrying about losing funding

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

For a contract that will codify the right to fair and transparent disciplinary procedures…

If the rest of the contract was settled, which of these things would motivate you enough to stay on strike?

(Relevant article: Discipline)

Require just cause for disciplinary action, and communications must be provided in advance, in writing, and with a specific timeline for the process

“Progressive discipline,” which allows grad workers the chance to remediate conduct/performance before the most extreme actions can be taken

Grad workers will have the right to appeal a disciplinary decision, with expedited process for international grads whose visa status could be affected

None of these issues alone would be enough to motivate me to stay on strike.

Required

Do you want to elaborate on any of these issues?

Do you have any specific solutions to any of these issues that you want to see implemented?

Submit

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