Washington, D.C. – Meeting in Washington D.C., the national Council of the American Association of University Professors adopted a resolution supporting the right of graduate students to organize for collective bargaining. Recognizing that graduate students work as graduate assistants, teaching assistants and research assistants, thereby assuming the role of employees in their institutions, the Association supported their right to form unions and to choose a collective bargaining agent.

The Association first went on record in 1998 affirming graduate student rights. In 2002, the Association submitted an amicus brief in the New York University case, arguing that unionization is consistent with academic freedom and that graduate assistant unionization does not violate academic freedom or harm faculty-student mentoring relationships. Moreover, the Association pointed out, state courts have recognized the compatibility of academic rights and bargaining rights for graduate assistants. The text of the Association’s amicus brief in the New York University case is available on the Association’s web site at http://www.aaup.org/Legal/Legal%20materials/legaldoc.htm.

The national Council issued its statement in response to the July 2004 decision of the National Labor Relations Board in the Brown University case. In that case, the Board declared that graduate assistants are not employees under the National Labor Relations Act, thereby overruling New York University.

The text of the resolution follows:

Resolution on Graduate Employee Organizing Rights Following the July 13, 2004 Decision of the National Labor Relations Board in Brown University

WHEREAS graduate students work as graduate assistants, teaching assistants and research assistants in universities and colleges and therefore assume the role of employees in those institutions; and

WHEREAS the work performed by graduate assistants makes significant contributions to the teaching and research missions of colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS the national Council of the American Association of University Professors affirmed in 1998 that graduate assistants, like other campus employees, should have the right to organize to bargain collectively;

BE IT RESOLVED that the national Council of the American Association of University Professors decries the July 2004 National Labor Relations Board decision that graduate assistants at private universities are not employees within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act and are thus not entitled to the protections of that Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the national Council of the American Association of University Professors reiterates its call that graduate assistants must not suffer retaliation from administrators or professors because of their activity related to collective bargaining; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the national Council of the American Association of University Professors recommends that the Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University administrations, and the administrations of any universities where graduate assistants seek to form unions, should work out a fair process for graduate assistants to decide whether or not to unionize and which organization shall represent them, in an atmosphere free from intimidation and coercion.

The American Association of University Professors is a nonprofit charitable and educational organization that promotes academic freedom by supporting tenure, academic due process, and standards of quality in higher education. The AAUP has about 45,000 members at colleges and universities throughout the United States.