Research and teaching assistants at Columbia University have voted to unionize as an affiliate of the United Automobile Workers Union, the organization announced last week — a big step for graduate student workers’ rights.
The unionization was made possible by a national victory Columbia students cinched in August. In response to these students’ petition, the National Labor Relations Board voted to allow unionization among research and teaching assistants at private universities, the New York Times reported.
The Columbia group has so far pushed for greater pay, parental leave, childcare subsidies, and other worker benefits, according to its website.
