Brown will not voluntarily recognize unionization of graduate students on fellowship, setting the stage for what could become a drawn-out battle between the University and the Graduate Labor Organization.
In an email sent to GLO on Monday and obtained by The Herald, Brown’s Director of Employee and Labor Relations Benjamin Trachman claimed that the National Labor Relations Act, which governs private employers, preempts Rhode Island legislation passed in August codifying graduate student employees’ right to unionize.
As such, Trachman wrote, the provisions of the Rhode Island legislation GLO has cited “do not govern the determination of employee status or collective bargaining obligations for fellows at Brown.”
But leaders of GLO’s parent group, RIFT-AFT Local 6516, have argued that the August legislation allows graduate fellows to form unions under the state’s labor relations board.
In an interview with The Herald, Local 6516 President Michael Ziegler GS said his union has not yet decided whether to escalate the case to the state labor relations board, but he added he believes the law permits his organization to do so.
“We’ve just gotten this answer. I think we need to kind of figure out our plans,” Ziegler said. “What I can say is (that) we’re going to continue to make inclusion of fellows in the contract a priority.”
Local 6516 leaders announced last month that more than 70% of graduate fellows had indicated their desire to be represented by the union and requested that Brown voluntarily recognize their unionization as part of GLO.
Brown can voluntarily grant recognition to the fellows at any point, even if University officials do not believe they are legally required to do so. But if the University remains steadfast in its stance, GLO could pursue action at the state level. Rhode Island AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley previously told The Herald this would be the first test of the new law.
There appears to be no U.S. university where graduate fellows have successfully unionized. Previously, a National Labor Relations Board Regional Director — which reviews petitions for union representation under the National Labor Relations Act — denied a petition to add certain Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate fellows to a local bargaining unit on the grounds that they were not statutory employees.
Adit Sabnis GS, fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience who is currently on fellowship, argued that because his research is published under Brown’s name, fellows should be recognized as part of the union.
“The idea that anything about a fellowship doesn’t provide services to the University is frankly just a little bit insulting given how much work we put in for Brown,” he said.
In a Tuesday statement sent to The Herald, University spokesperson Brian Clark wrote that “Brown has a long and productive history of working collegially and productively with employees who are eligible to unionize and elect to do so.”
James Libresco is a senior staff writer covering staff & student labor. He is a first-year student from Alexandria, Va. studying political science and contemplative studies. In his free time, he can be found playing basketball, meditating, or losing in Among Us.
Emily Feil is a university news and metro editor covering staff & student labor and RISD. She is from Long Beach, NY and plans to concentrate in English and international & public affairs. In her free time, she can be found watching bad TV and reading good books.
