Contract Proposal Explainers
Click any of the drop-down items to explore what NYU-GSOC won after nearly 12 months of bargaining and 3 weeks of strike between 2020 and 2021, plus potential proposals for how GSOC will continue to push for its members in the 2026 bargaining cycle (as voted on during membership meetings):
| Company Proposal | Union Proposal |
| • Contract covers a period of 5 years | • Contract will cover a period of three years • Shorter contract allows for more open responsiveness to contemporary circumstances and aligns out contract with other NYU Union Shops, enabling sectoral bargaining |
| Previous Contract Wins | Current Contract | Union Proposals |
| • Minimum rate raises for hourly workers by 30% (starting at $26/hr), reaching $30/hr by 2025. • Non-STEM Research Assistant pay raises by 5%, with 2.5% annual raises thereafter. • Guaranteed annual increase of 2.75 – 3% in total compensation for PhD students in teaching positions, including teach pay and stipends. | • Combined stipends to increase by 3% annually • Contact Hours (Teaching): ‘24-’25: $214.24 ‘27-’28: $249.75 • Hourly Wage: ‘24-’25: $29 ‘25-’26: $30 • Pre-semester training: $150.00/day | • Total compensation increase of 7%. • Precisely define what is included in Contact Hours. • Adjust number of Contact Hours • Rate of $50/hr, with annual increase to match the rate of inflation |
| Previous Contract Wins |
| • Eliminated timelines for filing grievances pertaining to Discrimination and Harassment • Commitment to NYU’s anti-discrimination and harassment policy in GSOC contact. • Created a committee to address power-based harassment in the workplace. • Enabled GSOC to file grievances regarding affirmative action and workplace accessibility |
| Previous Contract Wins |
| • Guaranteed 6 weeks Paid Parental Leave for all Grad Workers after one semester of employment. • Doubled the size of our childcare fund to $200k beginning Spring 2021, increasing to $325k by the contract’s final years. Removed age eligibility restrictions. • Provided access to Bright Horizons Enhanced Family Supports benefits. • University commitment to consider expanding fertility treatments currently available through the Student Health Insurance Plan to incorporate benefits provided under the NYS Infertility Mandate (including three rounds of in-vitro fertilization). |
| Previous Contract Wins |
| • Provided access to group legal plan offered to other NYU employees at a rate of $16.50 per month. • The legal plan covers some immigration legal assistance, adoption legal costs, and other legal services. |
| Previous Contract Wins | Current Contract | Union Proposals |
| • Established a new fund to cover out-of-pocket health expenses, starting at $300k and rising to $700k by the contract’s final year. • Increased coverage of healthcare premiums from 90% of the Basic Plan to 95% of the Basic and Comprehensive plans for partially-funded Grad Workers. • Extended Dependent Healthcare premium support to include master’s students’ dependents. Maximum dependent premium subsidy extended from 75% to 90% • Guaranteed notification from NYU to GSOC of any changes to student health plans no fewer than 30 days before changes take effect. | • 95% of health insurance for Master’s student • Stu-Dent Plan • Child Subsidy Fund of $300k • Out-of-pocket Healthcare Fund of $50k • Infertility treatment mandate from NYS • Group Legal Plan • Accounting & Legal Assistance for International Students for $18k | • 100% health insurance without account holds from delayed reimbursement • Real Dental and Vision Coverage • Increases to all funds • Codify Gender Affirming Care |
| Previous Contract Wins | Current Contract | Union Proposals |
| • Recognized NYPD presence on campus as a Health and Safety Issue. • Convene a Health and Safety Committee at least three times in a six-month period to continue the demand for cops off campus. • Mandated sanctuary protections from ICE and other government agencies for all NYU community members. | • NYU will not voluntarily provide information to government agencies for the purpose of detention or deportation. • NYU shall not voluntarily give permission to allow any governmental agency to enter NYU buildings for the purpose of detention or deportation. | • 24-hour notice of Police and/or ICE presence • Notify GSOC when a government agency inquires about a worker • Protections against doxxing and other forms of harassment • Offer Know-Your-Rights trainings • Stop surveillance of student body and delete previous data, including disciplinary records for protests. • Retain legal counsel for any GSOC members threatened or detained by ICE. • File a lawsuit to halt or revoke Trump’s Executive Order 13899. • Grant instructors flexibility to move classes online, supporting safer working conditions. |
| Current Contract | Union Proposals |
| • Departments must post publicly about all jobs they are hiring for. • Workers have the right to make their best professional judgement. • Prohibitions on unfair treatment (e.g. not being offered a repeat appointment. | • Prioritize international student candidates for job postings • More predictable appointments • Worker control over in-person and remote work options • Add political belief to non-discrimination clause • Disciplinary process must include GSOC representation • Veto power over intellectual property use in AI systems. • 10 seats on NYU Board of Trustees • Protections against plagiarism |
| Previous Contract Wins | Union Proposals |
| • Created a Tax and Legal Services Fund for International and Immigrant Student Workers, beginning at $10k in Fall 2021 and reaching $20k by 2025. | • NYU will rehire workers, reissue new visas and I-20s if work authorization status changes. • NYU will assist workers denied re-entry into the United States • NYU will notify workers 80 days in advance if re-verification of immigration status is required. • Reimbursement of SEVIS Fees |
| Current Contract | Union Proposals |
| • 7 sick days per year • 3 personal days per year • 3 bereavement days per year | • Unlimited sick days • 5 personal days per year • 6 months parental and disability leave (annually) |
• Retirement (with a commitment to university divestment)
• Housing Stability (lease guarantor and StuyTown housing for all NYU departments)
• Transit Support / Free Metro Cards
• Adoption assistance and adult/senior care programs
• Emergency Hardship Funds (sourced from NYU)
• Education fund for Student Loan Payments
| Current Contract | Union Proposal |
| • Covers Graduate Students working as RAs, TAs, GAs, CAs, Adjunct Instructors before their 7th year, and other hourly administrative staff. • Does not cover non-working Grad Students, Adjunct Instructors past their 7th year, Graders & Tutors, School of Medicine/Law/MBA Students, STEM RAs, and Guards and Supervisors. | • Add Graders and Tutors, STEM RAs to new contract membership. |
| Current Contract | Union Proposal |
| • Service bonuses for TAs to start during the second semester of teaching. | • Service bonuses start immediately. |
| Previous Contract Wins |
| • Have NYU provide bargaining unit lists to GSOC within 30 days of the start of the semester, and then once a month thereafter. |
| Current Contract | Union Proposal |
| • Vacation bonuses for hourly workers mired by complicated calculations. | • Simplify vacation bonus calculations. |
| Previous Contract Wins | Current Contract | Union Proposals |
| • 7% Service Bonus for Grad Workers with semesterly appointments following a 1-semester eligibility requirement. Added option of vacation or 5% Service Bonus for non-semesterly hourly workers. • Guaranteed appointment letters 21 days before the start of the semester, with appointment letters provided no later than 1 day after job start date. • Expanded Leaves of Absences, including minimum 7 days paid sick leave, 3 days paid bereavement leave, and 3 days paid personal days for religious observance or other reasons. | • Guaranteed Appointment Letters • If the job becomes unavailable after the letter is distributed, NYU must still pay you. • GSOC has 15 days to file a grievance with the university. | • Interest and other penalties to NYU for late pay. • Mandatory union training, per department, at the beginning of each semester. • Pay more union representatives to represent students in grievances. • Longer statute of limitations for grievances. • Holiday pay for university holidays. |