Our Platform

Princeton Graduate Students United is the graduate worker union at Princeton University. We are fighting for recognition as a labor union by Princeton, so that we can represent graduate workers, build solidarity, and negotiate with the University to improve working conditions for everyone. Here’s what we’re fighting for.

These issues are a guiding framework for the contract we will negotiate in the future. We will elaborate this framework into demands, in part, by taking inspiration from what other unions have been able to win. Most importantly, every step of the unionization process is democratic–we will all have a say!

Fair and effective cross-campus grievance procedures

We deserve clear and timely grievance procedures, including a right to neutral arbitration — any grievance we bring against someone at Princeton should be arbitrated by a neutral third party — and assistance by union representatives.

Improved support for international students

Despite 45% of grad workers being international, the University has provided us with inadequate support. We will fight for robust tax assistance, improved visa support across departments, and moving grants for all graduate students to assist in relocation.

Comprehensive, inclusive and funded healthcare and childcare

The barriers placed on our healthcare and childcare coverage have material consequences on our teaching and research obligations, as well as our ability to support our families and loved ones. We deserve affordable and accessible healthcare and childcare for our entire families, with improved coverage.

Affordable housing guaranteed through graduation

Every year, most of us have to make a difficult choice between low-quality services with no tenant protections (and no air conditioning!), and a time-consuming, expensive search off campus. We demand guaranteed, affordable, and high-quality housing because every grad student should know they have a comfortable place to live through graduation.

Guaranteed cost of living adjustments and contingency funding

Princeton has complete control over our pay, and provides no formal guarantees that pay will rise alongside our cost of living. We demand competitive annual pay raises and contingency funding for graduate workers facing unforeseen difficulties.

Fair, clear and safe work standards

As grad workers, we are often subject to ambiguous, inequitable, and even dangerous work and teaching conditions with inadequate protections. We demand and clearly-defined teaching responsibilities, and access to care and compensation if we are injured on the job.