Collective Bargaining Agreement: A Primer

In the unit:  

• Graduate students employed to provide research, instructional, or teaching services

Not in the unit:

• Non-service paid graduate students (i.e., not required to research or teach in exchange for a stipend or funding)
• Undergraduate student employees
• Enrolled students not engaged in paid work

To release non-directory information data to the Union, which would include certain student employment information, the graduate employee must provide written consent to waive their FERPA rights.

• During the timeframe of the agreement, students cannot engage in work stoppages or strikes (even in solidarity with other unions or organized groups on campus).
• In exchange, the University also will not prohibit students from working in their assigned roles (i.e., a lockout).

• Affirms the University’s commitment not to engage in unlawful discrimination and harassment practices or retaliate against members of BUGWU that raise claims of discrimination or harassment.
• Describes the processes and rights of BUGWU members if they are accused of discrimination or harassment as part of their paid service work, including union representation and appeals processes.
• Discrimination claims will be processed under University policy, but can later be reviewed by a neutral arbitrator under certain conditions after the University process is complete.

• Graduate students can enact reasonable judgment in their research, scholarship, and teaching.
• Graduate students have autonomy to fulfill their teaching roles or address controversial subjects if they arise in classroom discussions in the course of fulfilling their obligations to meet learning objectives and cover course content.
• Graduate students can contribute to their own research directions and exercise independent judgment while fulfilling the objectives of research grant or project to which they are assigned.

• Research and teaching environments at the University will adhere to all local and federal safety standards.
• The University will provide masks to graduate students who wish to use them.
• CHANGE: Hourly students will be paid for any required safety training. Training required of stipended students will count toward their paid service hours when it is not course-based (e.g. RCR course EK800) or required to make academic progress.

• The University will form a committee with BUGWU members to  discuss matters necessary to the implementation of this Agreement or related to the work of the graduate workers.
• Membership is up to 10 members in total (including five University representatives).
• Group meets at least once per semester.

The University retains control over its operations and the academic enterprise, including our mission, programs, objectives, activities, resources, rule-setting, policies, and priorities.

• Graduate students who are involved in teaching must be given a copy of any standard syllabus before the start of the semester.
• Graduate students must be reimbursed for approved expenses within 45 calendar days from submitting receipts and an expense report.
• Graduate students will be given orientations to logistical procedures associated with their role, like how to submit grades or use Blackboard.
• Graduate workers will be provided with space to prepare for class, space to meet with and advise students, as well as conference rooms when necessary and as available; private space will also be provided when necessary and as available.
• Graduate students in teaching roles will be given instructor copies of textbooks where they are available.
• Graduate students will get a copy of school/college or departmental handbooks before the start of each semester.

• Union will identify stewards who are able to devote “reasonable release time” to union work during business hours, but cannot interfere with required scheduled time (e.g. teaching times).
• Union can use space on campus to meet and can post information on our bulletin boards.

• SEIU 509 will set union dues and the University will withhold it from graduate workers’ paychecks if the worker completes a dues checkoff authorization form.
• Students who do not pay dues or an agency fee will be suspended for one week without pay during the period between fall and spring semester (specific timeframe determined by BU).

• Correspondence related to academic admission or academic progress is not covered by this article.
• Stipended appointments must be for a minimum of one semester; hourly appointments must be for a minimum of one week.
• Stipended students must be notified at least four weeks prior to the start of the semester whether they are in a research or teaching role and if teaching, what course they will be teaching (even if section is not known).
• Students must receive an assignment letter two weeks prior to the start of the semester that describes their specific job and its responsibilities.

• Graduate students have academic and work-related responsibilities; academic responsibilities are separate from the contract.
• Though there may be reasonable fluctuations in hours, stipended positions should not regularly require more than 20 hours a week without prior approval (current policy).
• Students with substantially similar assignments shall have similar workload expectations.Required meetings or trainings should be scheduled whenever possible on business days between 9-5.
• Graduate workers in hourly positions are entitled to hourly expectations set forth in their appointment letter.

• Supervisors must give students performance feedback, including written feedback at least once during the period of a student’s assignment (e.g., once per semester).
• Faculty may use the template provided in the contract or use a performance form designed by their program.
• Faculty or students can request teaching observations as part of the evaluation process.

• The University will have to maintain personnel records for each graduate worker that contain information about their assignments and their performance reviews.
• Graduate workers can have access to their own course evaluations.
• Graduate workers can view their records with five business days of a written request.
• Graduate workers can provide written comments to be included in their personnel record on records with which they disagree.

• Academic discipline, misconduct, or dismissal procedures and outcomes are at the discretion of the University; discipline related to work follows the procedures in the contract.
• Discipline should be proportional to the situation and should be progressive where possible. Negative performance reviews do not count as discipline.
• Discipline for work-related matters will not impact a student’s status, unless the actions leading to discipline also constitute an academic infraction.
• Graduate workers may be placed on paid administrative leave while discipline is being investigated.
• Students should get notice of investigatory meetings, so they have the option of union representation.
• Disciplinary action should not take place while students are within extenuating circumstances, like family or semester leave.
• Investigations should be expedited for international student workers where it may impact their visa status.

• Students have a several-step process to raise concerns that the contract is not being followed appropriately.
• The first step of this process is for the student to raise the concern with their supervisor, who has 10 days to respond. Faculty should contact Labor Relations to get advice so they can respond within the given window and attempt to resolve the student’s concern, where appropriate. The other two escalating steps involve Labor Relations within Human Resources and Graduate Affairs.

• PhD student minimum is $45k in year 1 for 12-month appointments; students already above $45k will receive a 4% increase.
• The minimum hourly rate for graduate student workers is $20/hr.
• In subsequent years, the PhD student stipend and the graduate student hourly rate increases by 3%.
• All PhD students will receive 12 months of funding support.

• Graduate students should be paid through direct deposit on time (according to the University’s regular weekly pay schedule) and should receive an annotated pay stub explaining their pay and any withholdings.
• If the University makes an error, students may request an emergency payment process.

• Graduate students can attend any professional development event offered by the University free of charge and will receive regular communications outlining the offerings available to them.
• Students can suggest professional development opportunities they need and the University will consider those requests or recommend external training.

• The University will establish help fund up to $200,000 annually.
• Students may apply to this fund if they are in an emergency or for professional development funding support (up to $1,500 grants).
  • Emergency funding awarded at the University’s discretion
  • Professional development funding awarded by a joint committee of three BUGWU representatives and three University representatives

• Describes current BU International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) protections and immigration assistance
• Adds specific response time windows for ISSO
• Office of Research needs to provide specific information about fellowships available to international students
• When a graduate student worker is unable to return to the United States due to their visa status and through no fault of their own, the University will evaluate if they can work remotely on a temporary basis.
• The University will create a working group focused on English language needs of international students.

• Health care benefits through Aetna maintained; the University will cover the cost of adding dependents aged 0-6 for PhD students within specific income thresholds.
• Health care benefits will include gender-affirming care (also described in a side letter).
• University will offer dental plan access for all graduate students and subsidize the annual cost by $100 for PhD students.
• Describes the current vision discounts and annual eye exam covered by the BU Student Health Insurance Plan.

• Expands the childcare subsidy to include all stipended students and for dependent children 0-10 years old (as well as disabled children 11-18 years old)
• $3,500 annually for children 0-5 and $2000 annually for children 6-10 and disabled children 11-18
• Conference and travel grants offered by BU will include childcare as a reimbursable expense
• Stipended graduate students receive 14 paid weeks of parental leave within the first 12 months upon birth or adoption of a child(ren)

• Students can choose each semester between enrolling in discounted MBTA passes (50% subsidy) or the biker reimbursement program available to faculty and staff.
• Students also receive discounts on the Bluebikes program.

• Where practicable, graduate students will not be required to work during designated University holidays or recesses, except to complete time-sensitive tasks necessary to maintain the integrity of research (e.g., tending to live specimens) or to teach when scheduled to do so in the normal course during the academic calendar.
• Graduate students can request religious exemptions for days off.
• All stipended students receive 15 days of sick leave annually, pro-rated by semester or summer term. Five days annually may be used for bereavement leave.
• Hourly-paid graduate workers will accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked and can accrue up to 40 hours per year. They also receive five days of unpaid bereavement leave.
• All PhD students receive vacation leave annually in accordance with existing University policies.

• Applies to access needs and accommodations for graduate workers in their capacity as workers, not students
• Describes the University’s process for accommodation requests through Disability & Access Services (DAS). Allows graduate workers to request an informational meeting with DAS to request an accommodation without documentation. DAS may require documentation if needed to evaluate the request.
• University is required to meet access needs for students attending events provided there is a need and the request has been communicated prior to the start of the event.
• Accessibility for graduate workers will be a standing topic for the joint labor management committee.
• Side letter describes process for DAS to collect student feedback regularly.

• Separability: If an article or several articles violate any laws, it can be separated from the contract without voiding the entire contract.
• Waiver: No side can waive any aspect of the contract without the other side’s agreement.
• Duration: Contract in effect from ratification (October 16, 2024) through August 31, 2027, at midnight.

• Stipended students can have access to one semester’s worth of stipend funding assistance if they are within a dysfunctional relationship with their supervisor or advisor.
• Students who identify a new advisor or supervisor can continue to use the transition funding for the remainder of the semester, and the new advisor can request up to a one-semester extension.
• PhD students who transition to new advisors can extend their guaranteed funding period by one semester.