GRAD WORKERS WIN ELECTION

NEWS RELEASE
CGW WINS UNION REPRESENTATION ELECTION
From the Coalition of Graduate Workers

For more information:
organizemizzou@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19th, 2016

We are gratified and humbled by the results of Monday and Tuesday’s representative election, in which approximately 84% of votes were cast in favor of the Coalition of Graduate Workers acting as the exclusive representative of graduate student employees for the purpose of collective bargaining.

This result is in spite of eleventh hour voter intimidation by the University of Missouri administration, and it unequivocally demonstrates that graduate student employees will not accept the status quo. It is also the culmination of an academic year of tireless organizing during which the graduate student employees of the University of Missouri have provided inspiration to universities across the United States. If the University of Missouri is to move forward, it will be due in no small part to the resolute desire of graduate students to make the University of Missouri a better institution of higher education.

The recent election, conducted by a neutral third party, fulfilled state and federal best practices for a representation election, and further fulfilled all of the criteria for the high standards of American democratic self-determination. Thus, we view the results as a clear mandate in favor of graduate student employee collective bargaining, and we call for the administration of the University of Missouri to duly recognize these democratic results.

We look forward to building a broadly representative bargaining team, and to beginning contract negotiations with the University.

The Coalition of Graduate Workers is a union local affiliated to the Missouri National Education Association and the National Education Association. It is the exclusive representative of the 2,800 graduate student employees at the University of Missouri.

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