As classes come to a close and you are taking, giving, or grading finals, we hope you are having a strong end to the semester! As President and Vice President of the GSA, over the last year(+) we have worked extensively to advocate for improvements to the lives of the graduate students we represent. Working with various University offices, we have raised important issues such as reclassification to W-2 status, stipend increases for PhDs and a specific timeline for implementation of those raises. We have also addressed smaller but equally vital issues that impact all graduate students, such as parking rates and availability, healthcare coverage, grad housing, and stocking of the food pantry and basic needs hub.
Throughout our efforts, we have felt that the administration does not take GSA's advocacy seriously, and either cannot or will not prioritize addressing graduate students' pressing concerns in a timely manner. Therefore, we have decided not to seek re-election as GSA officers. Instead, we are choosing to channel our energy into the ongoing unionization effort, spearheaded by the Graduate Student Collective (GSC), which is not affiliated with the GSA. We welcome you to join us and encourage students to sign a union card here.
If you would like to support the union effort here at UR or have any questions about graduate student unionization, you can email us at kgregor2@ur.rochester.edu and jgross14@ur.rochester.edu. Additionally, you can check out the FAQs on the Graduate Student Collective's website here.
We believe we can achieve real change through unionization, which is only possible with our collective effort. It has been an honor representing you, and we hope to get a chance to meet and work with all of you as we continue to fight for a voice on campus.
In Solidarity,
GSA President Justin Grossman and GSA Vice President/Treasurer Katie Gregory