There are many reasons why graduate employees should unionize and affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers. The best reasons will come from other graduate employee members who work at an institution with an AFT local, and as always we encourage you to visit their Web sites and talk to local leaders in your area. However, there are some general reasons to become part of the AFT. Here are just some of the reasons.

Experience. The AFT has been helping graduate employees organize far longer than any other national union--for more than 30 years. AFT is currently working with more than 20,000 graduate employees in 19 locals and campaigns across the country. Fourteen of those locals bargain on behalf of graduate employees. Another five are organizing and campaigning for that right. These locals form the Alliance of Graduate Employee Locals (AGEL). One function of AGEL is to allow experienced local leaders and staff to assist new locals with campaigns, bargaining and other union issues.

Local Autonomy. Local autonomy has always been a core value for the AFT. The independence to make local decisions, with the help of state federations and regional offices, allows each local to develop its own unique agenda within the larger context of higher education unionism and the AFT’s national efforts. In addition, this independence requires locals to maintain a working and active membership to accomplish their goals, rather than relying on an outside service organization. Such activism creates stronger and more effective unions on the local level.

State Support. AFT locals that represent graduate employees receive support from every level of the AFT, and state federations are the linchpins. The considerable resources and staff of state federations benefit locals in countless ways. Labor-relations specialists and field representatives from the state federations assist locals in contract negotiations, grievance representation, the arbitration process, leadership training and the like. Further, state capitals are key battlegrounds for issues of great importance to our membership--first and foremost because state legislatures have financial and political leverage over the tax-supported institutions in which so many of our members work. The political and research staff of state federations work hard to ensure that the interests of members and our institutions are well-represented throughout state government. Regardless of what problems a local faces, the state federation is an important resource that local unions can rely on.

National Support. In addition to state federations, support comes from regional offices and the various departments within AFT (higher education, organizing and field services, legal, legislative, public affairs, etc.). The types of support range from organizing assistance on campus, to helping with contract negotiations, to professional publications dealing with higher education issues. Each spring, AFT higher education sponsors a national issues conference where leaders and members come together to address critical issues facing higher education unionists. In addition, AFT sponsors two annual meetings of AGEL that bring graduate leaders and activists together to share their experiences and develop stronger locals.

Labor Support. AFT is the only higher education union or association that is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Not only does this mean that AFT works with the AFL-CIO to defend the rights and needs of working families, it means that AFT locals receive the support of their brothers and sisters in the labor movement. AFT locals can participate in AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils (CLCs), which bring AFL-CIO unions together to work on cross-union issues and give working families a voice in the community. Central Labor Councils also function to support state AFL-CIO organizations, which, along with AFT state federations, work to give you a voice at the state legislature. Both the CLCs and state AFL-CIO organizations have played crucial roles in AFT organizing efforts as well as in contract negotiations on behalf of locals.

Equality. AFT locals have a great deal of autonomy, but at the same time, they must follow certain constitutional requirements. These requirements ensure equal opportunity for representation and leadership within each local. All members in AFT locals have full voting rights, the right to run for office and be elected to lead a local, and access to all other rights held by any member of a local without distinction.

Foresight. The AFT's higher education department works with AGEL to identify, track and address new and ongoing legal, technological and other issues pertaining to higher education. Whether the issues have a direct impact on the teaching environment or other areas that affect the lives of graduate students, AFT is constantly working to identify these issues and work on behalf of graduate employees.

AFT has also helped win many improvements in working conditions for graduate employees through collective bargaining. These include better stipends and regularly rising wages, paid healthcare (often the same as faculty care), childcare support, enforceable workload limits and compensation for overload, and grievance procedures. In addition, AFT graduate employee locals have negotiated provisions that have helped make graduate employees' working conditions more professional. Such provisions include offices with phones and regular access to computer resources, faculty library privileges, increased teaching and research opportunities that are publicly posted and equally accessible, and university-wide training. In short, contracts negotiated by AFT graduate employee locals represent significant achievements for their members.

If you or your colleagues are thinking about organizing and joining a union, or have any questions about the American Federation of Teachers, please contact us via e-mail at AFT Higher Education, or call 202/879-4426.