IU Administration Undermines Union Gains with Inequitable Wage Distributions
July 26, 2023 — While our organizing did push the University to give grad workers a 3% raise, the admin applied it in a wildly unequal way. IGWC-UE Coordinating Committee sent a letter demanding these inequities be addressed. You may read the full letter copied below.
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Subject line: Concerns regarding the 2023-2024 wage increase policy for SAAs
Dear Dean Daleke,
Since the Fall of 2018, graduate workers on campus have repeatedly called upon the IU Administration to include their chosen representative body, the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition - United Electrical Workers, in decision-making about our working and living conditions. We are disappointed that the Administration refuses to consult the union that represents graduate employees at Indiana University.
Concerning the recently announced raises, we applaud the principle of an annual wage increase. However, this raise falls severely short. A 3% increase is neither commensurate with inflation nor does it get graduate workers on our campus to a living wage in Bloomington.
Most egregiously, this wage increase violates the principle of equal pay for equal work. The raise excludes incoming first year graduate workers and graduate workers who received fellowships last year, in effect, punishing fellowship recipients for their success. As a result, graduate workers teaching the same or similar courses within a department will be paid at different rates. This policy will inject the principle of inequality into the IU salary system for years to come. We call upon the University Graduate School to implement this raise equitably to all SAAs for the 2023-2024 academic year and onwards.
The Administration’s failure to consult the IGWC-UE has resulted in this irrational and unfair policy. Graduate workers at IU Bloomington stand firm in our pursuit of formal recognition of our union. We are eager to work with the University Graduate School and the rest of the IU Administration on this and other issues pertaining to the working and living conditions of graduate workers across campus.
We look forward to your response.
Regards,
The Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition - United Electrical Workers