When asked about how the presidential election would impact unionization efforts, EmoryUnite! co-chair David Meer (26G) spoke for nearly four minutes before he summarized his answer in seven words: “Trump would be a disaster for us.”
Emory University’s graduate student-worker union, EmoryUnite!, has been negotiating with the University to finalize a contract since April, according to Meer, who is a member of the bargaining committee. This is eight years in the making, starting with the union’s initial organization in 2016 and the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) official certification of EmoryUnite! in 2023. Now, some union members are worried that President-elect Donald Trump’s recent victory may stall their progress.
Madelyn Carlson (29G), a bargaining committee member, said she is “scared” that the U.S. presidential election may affect unions nationwide. The president appoints members of the NLRB to five-year terms. The board oversees most U.S. union elections and negotiations, and a change in administration could potentially alter how union elections are held and arbitrated.
During Trump’s first term, the NLRB adopted more pro-business policies, restricting union influence and rolling back pro-labor regulations.
“It was the policy of the Trump administration that graduate students cannot be considered workers,” Meer said. “Biden reversed that decision. Since then, you’ve seen Vanderbilt, [Boston University], Emory, Duke, so many places strengthen or completely form their unions. If Trump … gets to appoint whoever he wants to the National Labor Relations Board, Emory may feel the power to just stop bargaining with us.”
In a union general body meeting held on Nov. 13, EmoryUnite! bargaining committee member Tasfia Jahangir (23PH, 29G) said that the collective strength of graduate students is now more crucial than ever.
“We cannot allow them to get more emboldened by the new administration’s proposed anti-union measures, and so we need to take this opportunity to protect our rights, to make our voice heard,” Jahangir said.
Meer stated that although negotiations will likely not be completed before Trump takes office, he is optimistic that EmoryUnite! will ultimately be able to finalize a contract with the University.
“The pessimistic view is by the summer,” Meer said. “If we’re super optimistic, which I don't think we are, probably end of January.”
Emory graduate students reignited unionization efforts in summer 2022 in response to inflation after the pandemic, Elijah Ullman (25G), a graduate student, said. At the time, Laney Graduate School student workers’ average pay of $34,595.63 fell $4,778.77 under Atlanta’s living wage.
“Our stipend was just way too low for how … expensive everything had gotten,” Ullman said.
After organizing and advocacy, 909 of 982 (92.6%) Laney students voted to unionize in November 2023. The NLRB officially recognized the union the next week.
According to Meer, EmoryUnite! has had slow progress in agreeing to a contract with the University. Emory has yet to respond to the union’s economic proposals, which include stipend increases, improved health insurance, transportation and housing support, among other benefits. The group submitted a full proposal in August, Meer said.
Carlson said the University has been vague when responding to economic plans. She noted that at meetings, Emory brings counterproposals for proposals on other topics but not economic recommendations, telling the union that they are “coming soon.”
“We haven’t gotten any sort of response from Emory about items related to economics, and once they do start responding, there’s going to be a lot of back and forth between Emory and the union in negotiating,” Carlson said. “By Emory not responding to any of those, they’re delaying progress and making our timeline for negotiations slower.”
Meer suggested that Emory’s slow response to economic proposals may relate to Trump’s successful presidential run.
“I’m sure September, October, they're realizing, ‘Wait a minute, like Trump has a decent chance of winning. We shouldn't agree on a contract before October,’” Meer said. “They had no incentive to be quick. … I think if we were in a Trump presidency and they thought that a blue person might win, that they would try to speed up the negotiations, but then we'd be trying to stall. So it's all a game.”
In addition to economic delays, Meer and Carlson said that Emory removed several proposed articles entirely, including proposals focused on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), policing and protest, and systems to resolve advisor-student disputes.
“We had included items on DEI and inclusivity training on gender equity and protections for Ph.D.s with disabilities, among other items,” Carlson said. “Emory responded by deleting the entire article. And by doing that, what that communicates to me is the other group saying, ‘No, we’re not even going to negotiate on this.’”
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel that Emory’s team is working on reviewing and responding to union proposals and remains committed to being timely and transparent about their progress.
“Our aim is to reach an agreement that underscores our commitment to a supportive and equitable environment for all members of the Emory community,” Diamond wrote.
According to Meer and Carlson, the University is arguing that the union can only protect students performing non-academic work. Carlson explained that Emory insists Ph.D. students alternate between two distinct roles: students and employees. The University believes graduate students can only access protection from the union when they serve as employees, which would not include work required to secure a Ph.D., such as teaching and working on their thesis.
Meer added that the ongoing organization of the bargaining unit could increase pressure on Emory to address critical issues. As negotiations continue, the union said its demands remain clear.
“We’re asking for raises to keep up with the cost of living,” Jahangir said. “We’re asking for housing protections. We’re asking for health care benefits that don’t leave us in the dust. These aren’t just nice-to-have items. These are the bare minimum that we need to live and to work and to survive here.”
Correction (11/20/2024 at 3:16 p.m.): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel that Emory’s legal team is working on reviewing and responding to union proposals. In fact, Diamond wrote that Emory’s team is working on reviewing and responding to union proposals.
Correction (11/20/2024 at 9:50 p.m.): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that David Meer's graduation year was 2027. In fact, his graduation year is 2026. Additionally, the article incorrectly stated the union's general body meeting was October 13th, when in fact it was November 13th. Also, a previous version of this article incorrectly stated Elijah Ullman was a co-chair of EmoryUnite!, which is false.
