Grad Worker Strike Quick Guide
Our Organizing Committee and General Membership overwhelmingly endorse voting YES to strike. This comes after months (even years) of reaching out to meet with the administration to discuss union recognition and a living wage to no avail. Over the past decade, the only campus-wide raises we received were in response to strikes or threats to strike. Unfortunately, the IU admin has left our members no choice but to strike to make our demands clear: We deserve dignified, competitive, and fair working conditions.
This guide contains helpful resources and tips for grad workers across campus to use in preparation for the strike. Please contact us at indianagradworkers@gmail.com to be put in contact with a Department Organizer in your area for any questions.
Instructional labor during the strike
The goal of the strike is to stop all instructional labor (teaching, grading, proctoring, office hours, etc.) on April 17, 18, and 19. This means all grad workers who engage in instructional labor who plan to strike should plan accordingly. All other SAAs and fellows are asked to refuse to engage in instructional labor in the event that they are asked to do so.
Talking to your students
We encourage clear communication with undergraduate students about the upcoming strike. Undergraduates should know when classes will be canceled, why we are striking, and that our strike is an act of support for their education. They should know that grades and comments may be delayed as a result of the strike, if that applies in your case.
You can share this Undergraduate Strike FAQ with your students.
In our last strike, we found that undergraduates were extremely supportive of our strike, and, despite the administration’s pleas, almost no grad instructors were reported for striking. If you are worried about a case like this, do remember that you can always “call in sick” to work that day rather than directly tell your students that you have chosen to go on strike.
Talking to your supervisors
We have also found that almost all faculty are neutral or outwardly supportive when it comes to the actions of the IGWC, including striking. Many of our members have been straightforward with their intentions to strike with their openly supportive supervisors. Others prefer a bit more discretion and plan to “call in sick” to work during the strike. We support members’ decisions for what feels like the safest option which still allows them to stand up for themselves by striking.
The safest guidance we can offer, for communicating with both students and faculty, is to not use official university communications (like IU email or Canvas) to indicate that you are striking or considering striking. Instead, this message is best communicated in person.
Research, administrative work, and hourly work
Many of the grad workers who signed our strike pledge do non-instructional labor on campus, and we ask that they (1) avoid scabbing (i.e., performing the labor of instructional strikers) and (2) join us on the picket lines.
If you are in a position to safely strike from your research or administrative duties (e.g., you have a supportive supervisor, your entire lab has a shared research plan) without compromising your own dissertation project (e.g., killing one of your own experiments to only your detriment), then we encourage you to do so.
We are not encouraging hourly workers to strike, given that this will result in the direct loss of pay. We do not want any of our members to lose pay during the strike.
Note: These guidelines were developed following over 500 conversations with SAAs and hourly workers across campus before the strike pledge was released.
Joining the picket lines
We want our pickets to reflect the strength of our support. All members, friends, and supporters are encouraged to take at least one (ideally more!) shift on the picket line if they are able to do so. Sign up for picket shifts here.
The current picket schedule is as follows:
Tuesday: IGWC Rally in support of the faculty Vote of No Confidence, IU Auditorium, from 1:30pm to 3pm
Wednesday: Ballantine Hall, from 10am to 3pm
Thursday: Global and International Studies Building (GISB), from 10am to 3pm
Friday: Woodburn Hall, from 10am to 3pm
Picket shifts are from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to 3pm, with lunch at the picket site from 12pm to 1pm, each day. Any changes to the picket schedule (e.g., due to weather) will be communicated via email and text. If you are interested in being a picket captain, you can indicate your interest on the form above. All picket captains will be asked to attend one training.
Common concerns
We want our members to feel equipped with information about this strike, how it relates to our broader strategy, and common concerns about international worker visa risks, threats of retaliation, and more. Here is a detailed FAQ that addresses these topics.
Talking to other supporters
There are so many ways to support the strike. Join the picket lines, donate to our IU Day Counter-Fundraiser, or send a letter to President Whitten asking her to grant our demand to have a union election.
More information about our union, our current strike, our May 2022 strike, and our victories is available on our website.
The organizers of this strike feel lucky to be part of a union with members so brave and so committed to union recognition and a living wage. Together, we will continue making IU a better place to teach, research, and live.