Why These Three International Grad Workers Need Union Recognition
The IGWC cares about its international members because they often suffer the most precarious living conditions. Since graduate workers on visas cannot supplement their income, they rely almost solely on university funding.
The union helped eliminate the international student fee in 2022, but the fight continues for international grad workers. Hear why three of our international members want a union:
Katharina Schmid-Schmidsfelden, Germanic Studies
“As an international student on an F1 Visa, I am very grateful for the IGWC because we got rid of the mandatory fees in 2022, which were so high that international students were basically working one month for free. Today we have to rely on the salary we make through our SAAships because our Visa does not allow us to work outside of those 20 hours. Taking on a second job to get a living wage is therefore no option for us. This is why we need a union to make our problems visible and help us negotiate on the bargaining table.”
Chaoqi Zhang, Computer Science
“I joined the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition (IGWC) to stand up for our rights and fight for better conditions. IGWC is advocating for positive changes that affect us international students. I urge my fellow international students to join us in this fight because unity and solidarity are essential. Together, we can achieve our common goals and ensure our voices are heard loud and clear in the academic community.”
Sweta Dutta, Religious Studies
“As an international graduate student who supports her family financially, and is dependent on a graduate stipend, a graduate life with a living wage is no more a wishful thought. Since IU strives for excellence and boasts of a diverse graduate student life, it is our duty to remind the administration that excellence requires capital—in a war footing for many of us who are first generation PhDs, it is a means of sustenance to recover and recuperate. The IGWC has not only provided me with the platform to fight for this sustenance and raise vital issues concerning graduate life on campus, it has also given me the opportunity to become part of a robust community of grad workers who I can count on for active support, care and assistance. I demand union recognition because it champions our fight for sustenance, our visibility, and our share of fair and equitable rights.”