May 2024 Graduate Student Union Contract Implementation Update (Graduate Student Message)

Dear graduate students,

We are writing today to PhD, MFA, DMA and MM students to provide you with an update on the implementation of the graduate student union contact.

Payments and Reimbursement

Since our April 17 update, the $1,000 ratification bonus was paid in the April pay period to all eligible graduate students who were in the bargaining unit in Winter Quarter 2024 at the time of the contract ratification. In the May pay period, eligible graduate students in the bargaining unit in Winter Quarter 2024 and/or Spring Quarter 2024 will receive the first $100 annual multipurpose payment. Please note taxes are withheld from these payments because they are considered wages.

In addition, eligible graduate students who paid out of pocket for individual vision and/or dental insurance for the period of March-August 2024 will be reimbursed in the May pay period. All graduate students who are eligible for this reimbursement will be individually notified later today.

June, July, August and September Stipends

In the June pay period, eligible graduate students who are providing bargaining unit services as their primary appointment at some point in June (for Spring or Summer Quarter bargaining unit work) will receive the monthly equivalent of the June 1 base stipend increases outlined in the Key Benefit Charts on the Union Contract webpage of the graduate student unionization website.

If your Spring Quarter appointment extends into the month of June, you will be eligible for this increase. At the University’s discretion, you will receive the increased amount for the full month of June even if your bargaining unit role ends earlier in the month.

Eligible graduate students who are providing bargaining unit services as their primary appointment in July and August will continue to receive the monthly amount of the June 1 base stipend increase in those months. Those who are not in the bargaining unit in July or August will be paid the current pre-June 1 stipend rate until Sept. 1. As a reminder, you will alternate between being in and out of the bargaining unit based on whether you are providing instructional or research services for the University.

Graduate students only providing bargaining unit work in appointments outside of the base funding related to their academic program (e.g., providing supplemental (hourly) research services for a faculty member for work outside of your dissertation) will not receive this stipend increase (see Appendix A, Section 4 of the full contract linked below).

Starting in September 2024, your membership in the bargaining unit, while important, will be less material because Northwestern is choosing to extend some key benefits beyond this group to coincide with the start of a new academic and fiscal year. For example, all fully funded PhD, MFA and DMA students (those who receive a stipend and full tuition grant) during any period of full funding, guaranteed or not, will receive the Sept. 1 base stipend increases outlined in the Key Benefit Charts on the Union Contract webpage and individual health, vision and dental benefits regardless of bargaining unit status. Northwestern also will provide details regarding the new international graduate student support fund that goes into effect Sept. 1 closer to the start of Fall Quarter 2024.

Required Notifications

Each school/college is finalizing its process for issuing and distributing new appointment letters. These letters will outline the scope of work and whether that work qualifies you to be included in the bargaining unit as defined by the collective bargaining agreement.

In addition, graduate students who were in the bargaining unit in Winter Quarter 2024 and/or Spring Quarter 2024 received a NUGW-UE privacy waiver notification on May 17. The University cannot disclose education records or personally identifiable information from education records to NUGW-UE Local 1122 without your consent via the release form linked from that message.

University representatives continue to meet with graduate student representatives of NUGW-UE Local 1122 through regular Labor Management Collaboration Committee meetings to surface and address concerns and clarify the union contract as needed. In addition, the full collective bargaining agreement has been signed by all parties and added to the Union Contract webpage for future reference. Please continue to check this webpage often for updates. You also may submit general questions through this online form. 

We appreciate your continued partnership as we implement these initial contract terms and prepare to expand some key benefits beyond the bargaining unit this fall. We hope you enjoy the summer months and extend our best wishes to those who are graduating.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost and Professor 

Kelly Mayo
Dean of The Graduate School and
Associate Provost for Graduate Education