Frequently Asked Questions

Where are we currently in the unionization process?

In the summer, a majority of PRGS Student Researchers voted in favor of a union, and we were officially recognized as a union. At the end of September, we held an election to elect a bargaining team. Once our bargaining team was in place, they have been working in collaboration with the rest of the student employee body to come up with Initial Bargaining Demands (IBD) and a Request for Information (RFI). The bargaining team will present our IBD at our first meeting with the RAND bargaining team in mid-November, and we will continue on the collective bargaining process from there.

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How does collective bargaining work?

Collective bargaining equalizes the power relationship between employers and employees. It includes electing a bargaining team (of PRGS Fellows) (done), democratically drafting and agreeing on initial bargaining demands (in progress), negotiating a tentative agreement (with opportunity for feedback and collaboration from all PRGS Fellows), and then voting on whether or not to ratify that tentative agreement. If ratified, the agreement becomes an enforceable contract. As policy researchers, PRGS Fellows are especially well equipped to engage in collective bargaining. 

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Now that a union has been formed, RAND cannot unilaterally alter terms and conditions of employment—including pay and benefits. Instead, changes to terms and conditions of employment are generally subject to collective bargaining, through which we, as Graduate Student Workers, will have the power to negotiate with RAND administrators on equal terms.

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What are Initial Bargaining Demands (IBD's)?

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Initial Bargaining Demands (IBD) refer to the proposals or requests made at the beginning of negotiations with an employer. These demands typically outline broad changes or improvements sought–as well as things employees seek to maintain–in employment terms and conditions. IBDs serve as a starting point for negotiation. Membership ratifies bargaining demands, which set a vision for the bargaining committee’s more specific proposals moving forward. Thus this vote is an important step in the collective bargaining process, because it allows Assistant Policy Researchers to have a say in the general demands that will be presented to management. 

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What is a Request for Information (RFI)?

One of the most useful tools granted to us as a union is the right to RFI’s. RFI’s allow us to request all information from our employer that is necessary and relevant to bargaining. If you have an idea of what we should include in our RFI, reach out to one of our bargaining team members.

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Now that we are unionized, will we need to go on strike? Is that our only form of leverage?

No. ​Many union contracts are settled without striking. For example, grad students at NYU won a 38% increase to minimum stipend rates in their first contract without striking. Last year grad student unions achieved successful contract negotiations in New Mexico, where they don’t even have the right to strike. Their contract with UNM implemented a guaranteed minimum salary for the first time, as well as 10% raises for student researchers. To name a few more, unions at Brandeis, Tufts, Brown, and Georgetown have recently won first contracts without striking.

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At RAND, student employees represent 120/800 researchers which is a large fraction for bargaining purposes. During the NLRB hearing, RAND’s VP of GRT who heads all of hiring, in response to being asked if RAND could still staff its projects if PRGS students stopped working tomorrow, even said: “We would need to do some additional hiring in the short run.” We do tasks that PIs do not want to do themselves, and would cost projects more to have others do– and in many cases– we lead projects and take on the bulk of work, so the threat of a strike would hold sway. If RAND were to fail to bargain in good faith, we could also call upon donors, funders, and political allies to apply additional pressure to reach a fair agreement.

 

When grad students do go on strike, it is a decision made by a 2/3rd majority vote, usually in response to bad faith bargaining. Grad students have demonstrated many other forms of leverage when an employer is not negotiating in good faith, such as political pressure, community & donor support, and other forms of collective action. Even if PRGS Fellows voted to authorize a strike, no individual would be compelled to strike if they don’t want to.

 

Now that we formed a union, will this cause RAND to reduce benefits or lower pay?

On the contrary, since our union has been officially formed, RAND cannot unilaterally alter terms and conditions of employment—including pay and benefits. Instead, changes to terms and conditions of employment are generally subject to collective bargaining, through which we, as Graduate Student Workers, will have the power to negotiate with RAND administrators as equals and democratically approve an enforceable contract.

 

Would raising our take-home-pay affect our ability to get work?

Crucial to successfully bargaining a contract will be developing thoughtful bargaining proposals and assessing their impact through research and requesting information from the administration. All bargaining decisions will be made by PRGS student employees, including what proposals to make in bargaining, and whether to approve any proposed contract.

 

Other unions of academic employees have successfully won wage increases without leading to a decrease in the number of available jobs. Finally, student workers have more power to protect jobs through collective action and the protections of an enforceable contract. Most collective bargaining agreements prohibit the employer from terminating positions due to arbitrary or discriminatory reasons. By unionizing, student employees will be able to act collectively to preserve our positions with the backing of other unionized academic employees and the larger UAW International Union.

 

Has unionizing at other universities ever led to less work for student employees?

There is no evidence of collective bargaining having any of these effects. Both the union membership and the administration have to agree on a contract and that result is not in the interest of either party.

 

On the contrary, for example, the overall number of research assistants has grown at the University of Washington since unionization and subsequent wage increases, as has the number of postdocs at the University of California. Overall grant revenue has also increased at UW and UC over those years, showing that these institutions remain competitive in recruiting top talent to their research programs.

 

Why are international students in particular interested in forming this union?

International students could especially benefit from being able to negotiate for a contract that guarantees a minimum salary and tuition remission. The conditions of our visas limit us to working a maximum of 20 hours a week and prohibit us from working outside of RAND, so it is particularly important for us that the salary we receive from RAND is enough to pay rent. 

 

Because international students are not eligible for the vast majority of security- and defense-related projects, we face greater challenges finding OJT and often spend a lot more time looking for work. While our union would not be able to negotiate over visa limitations, we could negotiate improvements to OJT, visa fee reimbursements (as they recently won at the University of Washington), and minimum salary so that no international student employee (or any student employee!) ends up without enough salary to live on.

 

International students often struggle to find housing because we do not have credit scores in the US and have to put down really large deposits to be able to rent apartments. Like other grad student unions, we could negotiate for housing/moving assistance funds to help bridge this gap.

 

I am an international student. Can I unionize?

Absolutely! International students have the same right to  vote in our union election, join the organizing committee, or otherwise participate in union activities. You cannot be penalized for unionizing. Thousands and thousands of international student workers have helped build unions across the United States over the last few decades.  In the history of other universities unionizing, there are no  known examples of international students facing complications arising from being both an international student and a unionized employee. US law is clear that student visa holders have the right to unionize.

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Why a union? Why now?

Last year, 69% of PGRS Fellows signed union authorization cards after careful deliberation, discussion, and research, and this summer, the majority of us voted to form a union.

 

 Over the years, Fellows have put in countless hours attempting to collaborate with RAND management to improve our working conditions. Unfortunately the task forces, focus groups, and town halls have not led to substantive changes. Through forming a union, we hope to have a greater say over our working conditions so that we can conduct our research to the best of our abilities. Fellows seek improvements to our working conditions, including adjustments to take-home pay, measures to increase equity, and solutions to address RAND debt accrual. 

 

A union is particularly important now as we face stagnant financial support in the face of increasing housing and health care costs, rising inflation, and a new administration that has stated they would like to rely more heavily on tuition revenue rather than fundraising to operate. There has not been a cost-of-living adjustment for PRGS students in the past five years. Additionally, merit increases are substantially less than the 7.9% inflation rate in Los Angeles.

 

Before, RAND had exclusive control over our pay, benefits, and workplace rights, and could change the terms and conditions of our employment at any time, with or without our input. With a union, we have now gained the right to collectively bargain with RAND. 

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I am an international student. Can I unionize?

Absolutely! All students can sign union cards, vote, and join the organizing committee. You cannot be penalized for unionizing. In the history of other universities unionizing, there are no  known examples of international students facing complications arising from being both an international student and a unionized employee. US law is clear that student visa holders have the right to unionize.

 

What have other higher ed or think tank unions gained through unionizing?

If our union is recognized, PRGS Organizes-UAW would be joining several other graduate schools and think tanks represented by a union. Gains through unions at other institutions include:

• Tuition Remission

• Paid leave and benefits for working parents

• Wage increases to help keep up with the cost of living

• Rights and protections for international students

• Improved mental healthcare coverage

For additional information on what graduate students have gained through unionizing, see the additional resources page.
 

 

How do contract negotiations work? 

Following the election of our bargaining team in September, the process of contract negotiations has begun. We are collectively working with the student employee body to come up with Initial Bargaining Demands (IDB's) which, once ratified by the majority of our unit, will be presented at our first bargaining meeting in mid-November. From there, we will continue the process of collective bargaining. PRGS Fellows elect a bargaining team (made up of PRGS Fellows).  PRGS Fellows could continue to participate throughout this process, for example by attending bargaining sessions and providing continuous feedback. Through negotiations, the bargaining team would reach a tentative agreement with RAND. Before that agreement can go into effect, all PRGS Fellows have a chance to review and vote on whether or not to ratify it. If PRGS Fellows vote to ratify the tentative agreement, then it becomes a union contract and is legally enforceable. Make sure to keep checking the website to see where we are at with our tentative contracts!

 

Will this jeopardize our relationship with administration or researchers? 

Many universities and think tanks have unions that peacefully and happily exist within organizational structures. We look forward to amicably discussing the issues facing student employees with administration. At other universities where student researchers have unionized, the day-to-day collaborative relationship between students, PIs, and other researchers has not been negatively affected. Note also that collective bargaining occurs between us fellows (with the support of experienced UAW negotiators) and RAND administration (not with individual RAND researchers). Collective bargaining equalizes the power relationship between employees and their employer and provides more transparency and a greater voice in decision making.

 

We also strongly support our Student Leadership Council and the hard work they do representing the student body; we seek to fill a different, compatible role as direct negotiators for our role as compensated employees. Through collective bargaining, we will gain more transparency and a greater voice in decision making.

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Could we face retaliation since we unionized?

It is unlawful for any employer to retaliate or discriminate against an employee for unionizing. There are laws that protect workers from any retaliation for voting in a union election or participating in any union activity. Through UAW, we have access to legal resources if it ever came to an issue of discrimination or retaliation.

 

What’s the deal with dues? 

Union dues are the way we pool our resources to support costs associated with contract negotiations, enforcement of our rights, and every aspect of having a strong union. Unions are exclusively funded by dues so that they are only accountable to union members. Dues will not be collected until fellows vote to ratify a new contract with RAND. At that point, the expected union dues would be 1.44% of our annual gross take-home pay (meaning after tuition) from RAND. In other graduate schools that have unionized, the increase in compensation and benefits in the union contracts has by far surpassed the cost of union dues. For example, UC graduate researchers and teaching assistants recently won 25-80% in wage increases over 2.5 years.

 

Why UAW?

UAW is the United Auto Workers union who we have chosen to partner with to navigate the unionizing process. UAW has helped over 100,000 academic employees successfully unionize, including researchers at Universities and other research institutions. PRGS fellows decided to unionize with UAW because of the significant gains other UAW affiliated student researchers have made so far and the resources and network that will allow us to do the same. UAW is a highly diverse union committed to democracy and member participation. We’re excited to be joining in democratic decision making alongside 400,000 existing UAW members throughout the country.

 

How does unionization affect RAND’s reputation?

There are over 60 institutions, including Harvard and Columbia, where UAW-affiliated student employees have been raising the standards of their employment. In none of these cases has the reputation of the institution been damaged by unionization — they continue to be world-class institutions. In cases where employers engage in anti-union tactics, their reputation has been called into question by elected leaders, but typically improved upon once agreements are reached.

 

If I have more questions, who do I ask? 

You can email PRGS organizes-uaw or reach out to Tara Blagg (tara.blagg@gmail.com), David DeSmet (davidchristopherdesmet@gmail.com), Matt Kubasak (mattjkubasak@gmail.com) or Alejandra Lopez (alopezarr@gmail.com) or anyone on the bargaining team not listed here directly with questions.

 

 

 Also, be on the look out for emails about meetings and town halls.

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