Boston, MA – Today, Boston University graduate workers and SEIU Local 509 announced that approximately 3,200 workers who provide research, instructional, and teaching services at the university have won their union election in a landslide victory. Out of the 1,442 workers who voted, 98% voted in favor of forming a union. The final vote count was 1414-28.
The BU graduate workers join the nearly 20,000 human service workers, educators, and graduate workers currently represented by SEIU Local 509. The union election was held from December 5th-7th on BU’s campus.
BU graduate workers publicly launched their union campaign on September 2nd. In October, they filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with over 1,800 cards signed in favor of unionizing. Throughout the campaign, elected officials spoke out in support, with the Boston City Council unanimously passing a resolution introduced by Councilor Kenzie Bok in support of the workers’ unionizing efforts. The campaign also received support from Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, a Boston University graduate, who met with workers shortly after they filed with the NLRB.
“Boston University graduate workers made their voices heard loud and clear that BU is a union campus. We are so proud to welcome BU graduate workers into our union,” said Peter MacKinnon, President of SEIU Local 509. “These workers deserve a say in their working conditions, and we are excited to bring the energy of this victory to the bargaining table.”
This election victory puts graduate workers on the path toward negotiating their first union contract with BU as members of Local 509. Throughout the campaign, an Organizing Committee made up of graduate workers has had thousands of conversations with co-workers across campus. Together, they have identified key issues in the workplace, and will be fighting for:
- Living wages
- Workload protections
- Improvements to health care coverage and costs
- Support for international students
- Better housing and living conditions
“Organizing alongside my co-workers has shown me what workers can accomplish when we come together,” said Alexandra Lion, a graduate worker in the Biology department. “Throughout this entire process, we’ve remained committed to building a campaign rooted in solidarity. We stood by each other as we spoke out publicly at rallies, and talked to our co-workers to ensure they had the information they needed to vote yes. We’re thrilled to have won our union with SEIU Local 509 and look forward to negotiating our first contract.”
About SEIU Local 509
SEIU Local 509 represents nearly 20,000 human service workers and educators throughout Massachusetts. We provide a variety of social services to elders, at-risk children and people with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities — as well as educational services in both public and private sector settings. SEIU Local 509 currently represents graduate student workers at Brandeis and Tufts, as well as adjunct faculty and lecturers at Boston University.
#####
