Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition

The union representing Indiana University grad students voted “no confidence” in President Pamela Whitten and are exploring a strike after their demands went unanswered.

The IU Graduate Workers Coalition chose Sept. 25 for the vote on whether to strike. That day also is the add/drop deadline for semester-long classes.

For the first time in 17 years, faculty members petitioned the Executive Committee of the Bloomington Faculty Council to convene the full Bloomington faculty for a meeting; 625 faculty members voted in favor of union recognition.

Indiana State Senator Shelli Yoder and State Representative Matt Pierce wrote a letter Monday in support of unionization efforts by the graduate student workers of Indiana University.

An Indiana labor federation is throwing its support behind a group of IU graduate workers seeking to form a union.

Graduate workers have unionized in other states including California, New York, Washington and Oregon. But because of state laws, Indiana may differ.

Indiana University formally denied a request from roughly 1,600 graduate workers to hold a union election, contending they're primarily students, not staff.

Through the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition, graduate workers at IU have previously demanded an end to mandatory fees, which can be $700 to more than $1,000 depending on the department.