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Graduate assistants at Georgetown University, who are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, reached a tentative agreement on their first union contract, they announced Friday. The deal includes cost-of-living increases of 2 percent in years two and three of the union contract; a 12 percent stipend increase, to $32,500 for those on nine-month individual contracts; a $50,000 emergency assistance fund; and the establishment of a joint committee to address sexual harassment concerns.
Georgetown signaled it was willing to recognize the union outside National Labor Relations Board channels in 2018. "Critically, the university opted to work with, not against, its workers to bolster resources," the union said in its announcement, as members praised the university for not abandoning negotiations during the coronavirus outbreak.
The agreement also includes full dental insurance for Ph.D. candidates, six weeks of paid parental leave, six weeks of paid medical leave and the ability to put pretax income into retirement or transport benefits accounts. The university said in a statement that it’s "pleased to have reached this tentative agreement" with the union and looks forward "to the result of their ratification process. We are grateful for the leadership and collaboration shown by both parties in order to reach an agreement in these challenging times."
