Missouri graduate students consider creating union

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - University of Missouri graduate students workers have drafted bylaws for a potential union.

Forum on Graduate Rights expects to hold an election this spring on whether to create the union. Committee members with the forum need a petition with signatures of a majority of graduate student workers to hold the election.

Connor Lewis, a graduate student and co-chairman of the committee leading union efforts said, "We understand that we want to start charting a path forward, and we want to make sure that a union is part of the path forward."

Anahita Zare, a graduate student and spokeswoman for the Forum on Graduate Rights, said making the draft bylaws available to graduate students early was important to the group's leadership. Zare said they wanted to get as much feedback from graduate student workers as possible.

It would have elected officers, and each department or program on campus that has graduate student workers would have the right to nominate a representative to the union's representative assembly, which would make policy.

The union, which would be called The Coalition of Graduate Workers, has affiliated itself with the Missouri National Education Association and the National Education Association. Both associations are large teachers unions.

Members of the student union would have to pay dues to the union on campus, and the affiliated teachers unions as well.

Demonstrations by graduate students seeking better benefits and pay were sparked after university officials told graduate assistants in August that health insurance subsidies would no longer be offered. The school later rescinded its decision.