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Use Notice
URI
GRADUATE ASSISTANTS WIN FIRST CONTRACT
OnSeptember 23, 2003, the Rhode Island Board of
Governors for Higher Education ratified the first graduate assistants’
contract in the State of Rhode Island. The membership of Graduate Assistants
United (GAU), the AAUP chapter that represents the 600 graduate assistants
at the University of Rhode Island, had voted in favor on the contract
on September 18, 2003. The contract begins on September 1, 2003 and
will terminate on August 31, 2004.
URI graduate assistants voted for AAUP union representation onApril
17, 2002 under an election supervised by the Rhode Island Labor Board.
The GAU negotiated an interim agreement that took effect on September
1, 2002. That interim agreement provided for the first increase in stipends
in several years, paid student health insurance, parking fee waivers,
and provided released time for GAU union activities.
For the last year, negotiating committees for the GAU and the URI administration
have been meeting regularly to iron out the terms of an entire labor
agreement, to succeed the interim contract.
Among
the highlights of the new contract:
*Guarantees of no discrimination against graduate assistants because
of race, sex, religion, political affiliation or beliefs, age, color,
creed, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, and membership
on or on behalf of the union, are established.
*Graduate
assistants will have access to a grievance procedure that culminates
in final and binding arbitration, to adjudicate all contract violations.
*All
discipline of graduate assistants must be for just cause, and except
for egregious offences, must be progressive.
*Academic
freedom for graduate assistants is incorporated in the contract.
*The
University agrees to pay the individual premiums for the Student Injury
and Sickness Insurance plans for all graduate assistants, regardless
of hours, employed at the University from all sources of funds.
*Full-time
graduate assistants will receive a waiver of the commuter parking
fee.
*Full-time
graduate assistants will receive a 20 percent waiver of all graduate
student fees.
*All
graduate assistants may take paid sick and bereavement leave.
*Unpaid
maternity, family, military training, and military leave are in the
contract.
Michael
G. Bailey
Staff Representative
URI/AAUP
Roosevelt Hall
Kingston, RI 02881
(401)874-5148
________________________________________
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