University of Rochester graduate workers have voted to authorize a strike.
The Graduate Labor Union Organizing Committee announced Saturday that 90% of its members voted "yes" to authorize a strike.
It says the vote gives the committee the authority to call for a strike if the administration continues to block a fair union election.
This comes after grad workers claimed the university backed out of a union election agreement.
“The university betrayed our trust when they withdrew from the election agreement that we worked so hard to build,” Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering Athena Summers said in a statement. “This strike is the only way left to form our union, and grads need a union, now more than ever, to have a voice with the ongoing attacks on higher education.”
The U of R has claimed that a strike vote is an attempt to pressure it into a private election agreement, which it says it has never engaged in before.
In a statement, the university says it respects the employees' right to participate in the strike, but believes it will not be in the best interest or the most effective way of resolving both parties' differences:
"The University of Rochester is aware of the PhD graduate students intent to strike at a future date. While the University respects employees' right to participate in a strike consistent with federal labor laws, it nevertheless strongly believes that a strike by graduate students is neither in their best interest nor the most effective means of resolving the differences between the parties. The graduate students are threatening a strike in an attempt to pressure the University into agreeing to enter into a private election agreement to recognize the union seeking to represent them - a process the University has never before agreed to - rather than the union pursuing recognition through the typical National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) process.
While a strike is not the desired outcome for the University, we are steadfast in the belief that entering into a private election agreement at this time is not in the best interests of the University community. The PhD students are demanding the University take this unprecedented step as the higher education landscape becomes increasingly difficult to navigate. The University will not succumb to the union's pressure tactics and has put into place contingency plans that will minimize the disruption that a strike might have on our academic mission, including teaching and research activities.
The graduate students are a vital part of our University community and, as such, we remain committed to ensuring their success."
