April 2024

After collecting 800 strike pledges, 500 of which were from SAAs with instructional positions, the IGWC endorsed a call for a three day strike. At the April 14 General Membership Meeting, members endorsed voting YES to strike for three days, April 17-19, launching a 24-hour strike authorization vote for all 1,300 union members to vote. Union members voted 646 Yes and 53 No, officially striking “Three Days for a Raise” on April 17-19.

On April 16, 2024, the day before the first day of the IGWC three day strike, the IU Bloomington faculty overwhelmingly passed votes of no confidence for IU President Pamela Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav, and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty. Of 895 ballots, 672 (75%) expressed No Confidence in Docherty; of 879 ballots, 804 (91.5%) expressed No Confidence in Shrivastav; and of 888 ballots, 827 (93.1%) expressed No Confidence in Whitten.

March 2024

After engaging in over 500 one-on-one conversations with union members, the IGWC Organizing Committee endorses a strike pledge for a “Three Days For A Raise” Strike, Wednesday through Friday, April 17-19.

February-April 2024

On February 5, 2024, the IGWC passes a vote of no confidence in IU President Pamela Whitten’s Administration as a result of their failure to respond to the IGWC’s demand, signed by 1,300 graduate employees, for a union election and a living wage. The vote of no confidence also cites the suspension of Professor Abdulkader Sinno and the cancellation of IU alumna Samia Halaby’s exhibition as evidence that the Whitten administration is suppressing fundamental rights on campus.

In the following weeks, IU Bloomington graduate organizations and GPSG join IGWC in passing their own votes of no confidence in Whitten’s Administration.

January 2024

The IGWC makes its demand for a union election and a living wage of the IU Administration, requesting a meeting to begin a bargaining relationship with the university.

Fall 2023

The IGWC launches another union campaign, collecting over 1,300 union cards from graduate employees to demand union recognition and a living wage.

July 2023

The IU Administration announces a 3% wage increase for all returning SAAs, the first all-department cost-of-living wage increase in over a decade.

March 2023

IGWC-UE delivers the Cost of Living Adjustment Petition with over 1,500 signatures to the IU Administration. During a Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC) meeting, Provost Shrivastav rejects the petition as “too expensive.” Graduate workers hold a rally outside the BFC meeting, loud enough to be heard from the inside.

January 2023

With inflation at a record high, IGWC-UE launches a Cost of Living Adjustment Petition, calling for 8% raises, commensurate with inflation, garnering 1,000+ signatures.

August & September 2022

In the lead up to our second strike vote, the IU Administration makes massive concessions in terms of wage increases, fee eliminations, and healthcare benefits (see Our Victories). Following these concessions, our leadership recommends a “NO” vote on the September 2022 strike, and union members vote not to strike.

May 2022

Over 700 faculty members respond to our strike with the first Special Meeting of Bloomington Faculty in 17 years. They overwhelmingly vote to take back the power to appoint SAAs from the Provost. The faculty also overwhelmingly endorse a pathway for unionization for IGWC-UE. IGWC-UE members decide to suspend the strike until September 26, 2022.

April 2022

The strike begins on April 13, 2022, and about 800 people attend the pickets on the first day of picketing on April 14, 2022. The strike lasts for about four weeks.

March 2022

Union members deliver letters two times per week to Provost Shrivastav asking for a meeting. The Provost refuses to ever answer our letters. At a “Listening Session,” Provost Shrivastav and Vice Provost Daleke are overwhelmed with dozens of demands from union members for union recognition.

February 2022

The IU Administration rejects IGWC-UE’s request for a union election. After multiple meetings with members, IGWC-UE launches a strike pledge drive. The coalition creates a system of 100 union representatives, holds town halls on strikes, launches strike trainings, and launches a strike pledge.

December 2021

The IGWC-UE submits almost 1,600 union cards, which represent a supermajority of graduate employees on campus, to the IU Administration and asks for a union election.

Summer & Fall 2021

The IGWC-UE gathers almost 1,600 signed union cards from graduate employees.

Spring 2021

The Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition (IGWC) launches The Fee Strike. Over 800 graduate employees commit to withholding fees. The administration threatens retaliation against international students. At the end of The Fee Strike, coalition members vote to endorse unionization as the only solution to graduate employee issues. United Electrical Workers (UE) agrees to support our union drive and IGWC becomes IGWC-UE.

Spring 2020

The coalition hosts large meetings after The Fee March, which builds toward the next action. The pandemic hits and interrupts this momentum.

January 2020

Graduate workers organize The Fee March. Over 500 grad workers deliver a petition to Vice Provost David Daleke and engage in a bargaining-style session with him. He agrees to a follow up meeting but then never responds to future requests.

Fall 2019

A September town hall initiates the campaign against the fees. Over 200 grad workers attend. A petition is launched demanding an end to fees. By December, the petition receives over 2,000 signatures. 

Spring 2019

Small group and one-on-one meetings are held in departments. Organizers realize that despite low wages, the mandatory fees are the thing that anger graduate workers the most.

Fall 2018

The Trump Administration attempts to tax tuition remission. Grad employees protest across the country, including at Indiana University. A small group of participants at IU meet after the protest on campus to begin thinking about forming some kind of graduate employee advocacy group.