We won!
We did it! We won legal recognition as a union! Welcome to SEIU Workers United Southern Region Local 29!
We made history! Over 7 years of effort have finally paid off, and we have joined together to say yes to a union! We are the first graduate student-worker union in Georgia and only the second at a private university in the South. 982 votes were cast, with a final tally of 909 votes for the union and 73 votes against (92% Yes).
Within the next seven days, we will be a certified union, which gives us certain rights, including Weingarten rights, responsibilities, and means that Emory must negotiate with us in good faith as we begin our next task: bargaining for a collective bargaining agreement.
We are so excited to work together as a union to decide on our priorities and demand fair wages and benefits! Here are the next steps:
Join us for our Victory Town Hall this Thursday, November 30th, 5:30-7:30PM in White Hall 110. Come for free food and drinks, stay for a presentation on what's next for the union, the rights we've gained, and share what YOU want us to prioritize (flyer attached).
If you haven’t already, sign your union authorization card to become an official union member. The union will represent all Emory PhD student-workers regardless of membership, and negotiated changes will affect all PhD student-workers. However, only union members can vote in upcoming elections for union leadership, join the bargaining committee, and vote on our eventual contract. As a reminder, dues only start once we have all approved a contract.
