Grad Workers Stand Up for Fair Pay at UIC

The University of Illinois Chicago is experiencing a wave of protest as about two thousand graduate students—who assist with teaching and research—demands better wages.

• Negotiation History:
  These workers have been negotiating with school leaders for a year but could not agree on a new contract, so they began striking last Monday.

• Rally Highlights:
  At a campus rally, one student explained he can’t even pay his car insurance and many classmates have had to move because rent is too high.

• Union Demands vs. Offer:
• The university offered only a 2 % raise for the first year of a new contract.
• In comparison, private schools nearby pay graduate assistants up to twice as much: Northwestern starts at $45 000 and the University of Chicago at nearly $48 000.
• The union’s latest ask is a nine‑month salary of $38 000, which they say would bring pay in line with regional standards.
• They previously wanted $60 000, a figure that research from MIT suggests would give workers a living wage.

• Health Coverage Concerns:
• Current plan, CampusCare, only works through a few hospitals on the South Side of Chicago and has high premiums.

• The union requests lower costs and more comprehensive care, including gender‑affirming and reproductive services.

• International Student Issues:
• The union wants the university to keep federal immigration agents off campus and to offer more training about legal rights.

• They cite the recent Operation Midway Blitz, during which agents detained thousands in Chicago, many near UIC.

• AI and Job Security:
• The union warns that artificial intelligence should not replace their jobs.

• They want a guarantee that teaching and research will remain human‑led, not automated.

• Class Operations:
• Classes continue during the strike.

• The university says it will keep lessons running and grading on schedule while it tries to reach a deal.

• Bargaining Status:
• So far, there have been 29 bargaining sessions and two more are planned for the coming week.
• A federal mediator has stepped in a few times to help avoid a full‑scale work stoppage.

The strike shows that graduate students are fighting not just for higher pay but also for fair treatment and job security in a competitive research environment.