Graduate Students Protest University of Rochester’s Delay in Union Agreement

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Graduate students at the University of Rochester staged a protest Thursday, demanding the university finalize a union election agreement reached in December.

The students, organized under the Graduate Labor Union (GLU), are seeking formal union representation and expected to move forward with an election after months of negotiations. However, they say the administration is stalling by not signing the agreement.

“We secured this deal back in December, and now the university is dragging its feet,” said Katie Gregory, a Ph.D. student and GLU representative. “We are essential workers, and we deserve a fair say in our wages and working conditions.”

The university defended the delay, citing legal considerations following a recent federal court ruling.

"Since last winter, there have been multiple times when the union took large blocks of time (lasting months in some cases) to review the draft private election agreement and provide feedback to the university," the university said in a statement. "The university now needs some additional time to review and consider the ramifications of the proposed agreement in light of a court decision in the Vanderbilt University v. National Labor Relations Board case, which was decided last month."

The ruling granted Vanderbilt a preliminary injunction preventing the National Labor Relations Board from requiring the university to release certain student data that could violate the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The university said it supports graduate students' right to decide on union representation. "We take this process very seriously and plan to follow up as quickly as possible with a formal response to the union,” the statement said.

Despite this, graduate students argue the delay is unnecessary and accuse the university of using legal complexities to slow the process. More than 200 students and supporters marched to Wallis Hall, the university’s administrative building, on Thursday to demand immediate action.

The situation remains unresolved as graduate workers await the university’s next move. Union organizers say they will continue pushing for a fair and timely election, while the administration insists it must carefully assess the legal landscape before proceeding.