OUR PLATFORM

  • We believe that our power comes from our unity as grad workers across MIT. This fall, we saw the power we can wield as 5,000 MIT grad workers when we won our historic first contract after months of mass action and ultimately a strike threat. We know that our collective power is built through the hard work of one-on-one organizing. We are committed to empowering all graduate workers at MIT by building broad member participation, strengthening our collective power, and fighting through mass action.

  • We aim to build a vibrant union democracy with mass participation from graduate workers all across MIT. We understand that a democracy is more than just participating in votes. We aim to build an active worker democracy where all union members talk to their coworkers about the issues we face in our workplace, take part in productive discussion and debate at monthly General Membership Meetings, organize to fight for our contract rights and even more. Mass participation makes a union that works for all of us, and we are committed to fostering a member-led democracy where all workers are engaged in improving our working conditions. This engagement begins at the lab and department level, where we will organize to build our democracy from the bottom up.

  • Winning a strong contract was the major first step to improving our working conditions, but now we must actively enforce that contract. We will build out a broad network of stewards—leaders in their labs and departments—who are well-versed on the contract and our rights as workers. Our contract and steward network will empower workers across campus to fight for the issues that we face, including health and safety issues and power-based harassment. A robust steward network will ensure that every worker knows that our union has their back and is ready to fight to defend their rights in the workplace.

  • Our first contract made history, but we know that there is still more to win. Between now and our next contract fight in 2026, we can and will continue to fight for change at MIT. Our priorities include fighting for expanded international worker rights like CPT/OPT, affordable graduate housing, and the inclusion of fellows in our union’s bargaining unit. Through these campaigns, we will not only push for more wins but we will also continue to grow the fighting spirit of our union so that we are ready to fight for an even better contract in 2026.

  • This fall, we saw how demonstrating our unity and building up a strike threat resulted in industry-setting contract wins. We have three years until our contract expires— three years to build our forces and win an even stronger contract in 2026. Those wins won’t fall out of the sky; we will have to build up our organizational forces over the next three years. By continuing the fighting spirit that won us our union and our contract and by empowering workers to become organizers and leaders across campus, we will begin to lay the foundation for a ground-breaking second contract.

  • Our union has been at the forefront of a historic recent wave of graduate worker labor organizing. Our election campaign led the way for other grad unions to even larger ratification victories, and right now our contract win is inspiring ongoing fights at Stanford, UChicago, Northwestern, Dartmouth, and a dozen more universities. We are committed to continuing to set the example at MIT for what is possible through a strong union, and to working with UE and our grad union siblings to build our power as workers at every institution.

    As workers at MIT, we see ourselves as part of a larger community of workers across the country. We will work with the other unions at MIT, including SEIU 32BJ and UNITE HERE Local 26, to empower all workers on campus. We will support and show solidarity to labor organizing efforts throughout the Cambridge and Boston area, including Alphabet Workers Union, Starbucks Workers United, and Boston Teachers Union. We will work to create a union that shows solidarity with all working people, as part of the broader national and international labor movement.