Question 1

What is UTGWU?

Accepted Answer

UTGWU is a labor union founded for and by UT Austin graduate students. Our vision is a UT Austin where we graduate students are paid a living wage, are treated with respect and dignity, and have our voices heard on campus issues that matter to us.

Question 2

That all sounds great, but how do you plan on accomplishing this?

Accepted Answer

UT Austin graduate students play an integral role in both the teaching and research missions of the university. Despite the importance of our labor, however, we are systemically undervalued. By banding together and creating a strike-ready union, we can use the value of our labor and our ability to withhold it to force concessions from university administration, who have a strong interest in ensuring that the university keeps running smoothly.

Question 3

But aren’t unions illegal in Texas?

Accepted Answer

Unions are not illegal in Texas! Joining UTGWU and organizing with the union is legally protected, and it is against the law* for the University to retaliate against you. There are many ways that UTGWU can advocate, including rallies, leafleting, and demonstrations, that are consistent with UT policy. However, while striking is not a criminal offense, it is a civil one, which means that public employers like the University can retaliate against employees like us for participating in a strike. If UTGWU were to organize a strike, the participants in that action would face a risk of termination. However, the terms of the strike, including which graduate student workers might participate, would be a collective decision, and all members would have a voice in those decisions. In particular, a union-wide strike would only occur if a majority of union members vote to approve it. We believe that with a large enough union body, it would be more harmful to the University to punish us than to concede to our demands.

* §617.004, Texas Government Code; §101.001, Texas Labor Code

Question 4

Does UTGWU have union dues?

Accepted Answer

At this time there are no dues associated with joining UTGWU. While our long-term strategy will likely require dues, we understand that many graduate students are struggling to make ends meet. We will only collect dues if and when we have earned the trust of the UT Austin graduate student community and believe that the collected dues will directly further their interests. Collecting dues would be a collective decision, and all members would have a voice.

Question 5

How is UTGWU protecting members’ privacy?

Accepted Answer

UTGWU takes precautions to ensure that our members’ communications and information are secure. We store all documents and records in non-UT accounts and communicate through non-UT email addresses and through Signal, an encrypted messaging app.

Question 6

How is UTGWU structured?

Accepted Answer

Any UT graduate student is welcome to attend organizing meetings, contribute ideas, and shape the direction of our work. We strive to operate democratically, have no leadership hierarchy, and, whenever possible, try to achieve consensus around decisions we are making. We will need a robust and diverse set of voices contributing to our work to succeed, and encourage any graduate students who are passionate about fighting for better working conditions and a better UT to get involved — just contact us and we will get you up to speed in no time.

The only “formal” positions we currently have are recruitment organizers, who work to bring graduate students into the union. Any union member can be a recruitment organizer, the time commitment required is minimal, and we will teach you everything you need to know to be successful. You can sign up here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSct0z1PXfrkKu_z-lb5TxTVTNZ7RmHsvLOqJ3jdGQ_0k7r2-g/viewform)to become a recruitment organizer today.

Question 7

Does UTGWU have a constitution?

Accepted Answer

We have a set of general rules (https://www.utgwu.com/general-rules)for the union that outline our founding principles and broad operating procedures. These rules can only be modified with the consent of the majority of our membership.

Question 8

What about elections?

Accepted Answer

At this time, UTGWU has no elected positions and operates via direct democracy. While elections may become necessary as we grow, at this time we are currently focusing on building an engaged and informed membership, which is the precondition for true representative democracy.

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