Graduate student workers vote to unionize at George Washington University

Graduate student workers at George Washington University voted Wednesday to unionize, affirming widespread campus wage complaints driven by rising living costs over the past two years.

GWU Graduate Workers United announced Thursday that 99.4% of doctoral- and master’s degree students working in campus jobs voted to join Service Employees International Union Local 500, capping a pro-union campaign launched last month. Most work as part-time teaching or research assistants during their studies.

“This election confirms what we have all experienced talking to graduate workers across the university: there is near-universal support for unionization and a real need for GWU to improve the compensation and working conditions for its graduate employees,” said Molly Henderson, a sixth-year doctoral-degree student in American studies.

Local 500 already represents the university’s adjunct faculty and workers at the GW Museum and Textile Museum, according to the SEIU.

“Together, higher education workers are fighting, and winning respect, improvement in their pay and working conditions, and better learning conditions for their students,” said Pia Morrison, president of SEIU Local 500.

Congress chartered GW as a private research institution in the nation’s capital in 1821.

The university acknowledged the students’ decision in an emailed statement.

“As we have said previously, GW will continue to work diligently with our graduate students to ensure that they have a meaningful and successful graduate experience at GW, and we look forward to their continued contributions to our scholarly community,” said Julia Metjian, a spokeswoman.

The support for unionization wasn’t as strong as boosters claim, however.

Only 349 out of 973 eligible graduate students voted Wednesday, making the turnout less than 40%, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

“Graduate students may be unlikely to think of themselves as ‘employees’ and thus might not think the vote applies to them, plus they may be caught up in other activities as exam time nears,” said Jacob Comello, a spokesman for the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. “Both of these factors call into question how decisive this result really is.”

The vote comes as graduate student organizing has surged nationwide over the past decade to include more than 150 unions at public and private colleges.

Unionization has accelerated with rising living costs over the past four years, reaching undergraduate student workers as well.

GW has recently seen a surge in political and financial protests from disgruntled students and employees.

About 100 tents occupied the university commons in May after anti-Israel protesters broke through metal barriers meant to keep them out.

Fearing more protests at graduation, the school implemented enhanced security for its May 19 commencement on the National Mall.

Students unhappy about Israel’s military operations in Gaza objected to the school inviting Jen Psaki, an MSNBC host and former White House press secretary, to deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary degree. She left the Biden administration in 2022 before the war started.

In September, more than 200 unionized resident doctors at George Washington University Hospital formed a picket line, demanding better pay and benefits.

According to GWU Graduate Workers United, rising living costs have made it difficult for many students and employees to pay their bills.

“Even though I only have one semester left, I’m so happy that pay and benefits will be improved for future master’s and Ph.D. students after bargaining,” said John Lesko, a second-year master’s degree student in geography. “We all deserve better than the support we have now.”