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The Graduate Employee Organization at UMass Boston Reaches Tentative Agreement on New Collective Bargaining Contract: 2024-2027
The Graduate Employee Organization/UAW Local 1596 (“Union”) and the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts (“University”) have reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement covering the period from July 1, 2024,through June 30, 2027. The agreement reflects significant economic and policy gains secured through a collaborative and solutions-focused negotiation process.
Major Economic Gains
The agreement includes several substantial improvements in compensation and financial support for GEO members:
- Annual stipends will increase by 25% over three years, with raises of 11% (2024–2025), 7%(2025–2026), and 7% (2026–2027). Full time GAs will receive up to $2,000 in retro pay. (Please note, all salaries are prorated to your max assistantship FTE during the period; programs already receiving higher stipends may not receive equivalent % raises)
- The Scholarly Support Fund will double from $25,000 to $50,000 to support academic and research activities of the GEO members.
- The Emergency Support Fund will also double from $25,000 to $50,000 to help offset costs related to unforeseen personal emergencies for GEO members.
- The university will now cover 95% of both the UMass Student Health Plan (up from 85%)and Vision and Dental (up from 50%) to a pre-set cap amount. For the first time ever, UMass has agreed to set these annual caps with the goal of entirely matching the anticipated annual premium increases.
Policy and Workplace Improvements
The agreement also includes substantial improvements in working conditions, grievance procedures, and safety measures. More specifically, the university has committed to:
- Clarify and expand grievance procedures, to support members’ ability to pursue complaint resolution.
- Increase representation by expanding the number of union officers from 6 to 8. GEO can also now maintain 4 union staff to support union members over the winter and summer gap.
- Implement stronger health and safety measures including the right to decline work without loss of compensation until safety concerns are addressed.
- Cover required medical testing and provide GAs with personal protective equipment and related tools or materials required for their work.
- Honor official, written assistantship offers.
- Address harassment and bullying in addition to and distinct from discrimination and sexual harassment.
- In the event of a workplace injury, the GA will continue to receive benefits, including tuition until the end of the academic year or the end of the compensation leave.
- Find a way to close the winter pay “gap” between Fall and Spring Semesters.
Specified Committees
- Create a committee to discuss, collaborate, and review methods by which the administration of the Health Insurance Benefit can be improved.
- Establish a committee to discuss, collaborate, and review the summer work conducted by graduate student employees.
- Form an International Student Work Group (ISGW) to research and compile issues affecting international GEO members.
Graduate Employee Organization 