Members of a Syracuse University group organizing a graduate student unionization drive protested a Supreme Court case on Monday that could weaken public union power in the United States.

A crowd of about 20 people, including students, gathered to chant, “union, union, union,” outside of the Liverpool Transportation Center on Monday afternoon. A few drivers honked their car horns in support of the protesters, as they passed by.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees case on Monday — a case that could diminish public union power if non-union employees are no longer required to pay public union dues, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Several states have ruled that public unions must require non-union employees to pay dues because they benefit from union powers.

Syracuse Graduate Employees United and Service Employees International Union support that law, members said. SGEU has recently started organizing a unionization drive in an effort to represent graduate students who work on SU’s campus as teaching or research assistants.

Speakers at the rally said they fear the Supreme Court could vote against unions, and workers will not get a chance to bargain for fair wages in the future.

“There was great opportunity to create an event with the grad students at Syracuse University, who we had a rally with about a month ago or so, against the Republican tax bill,” said Scott Phillipson, president of SEIU Local 200United.

SEIU hosted a rally with SGEU last November to denounce the GOP tax plan and announce the graduate student employees’ union drive.

Brandon Daniels, a graduate student studying communication and rhetorical studies, and a member of SGEU, said the Janus case is a threat to union workers across the U.S. No matter what happens with the case, Daniels said people will still organize protests.

“We are still going to fight for good working conditions in union jobs,” Daniels said. “That is in favor of having a union for graduate student workers.”

Rev. Emily McNeill from the Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS, who also attended the rally, said standing up and speaking out for what people believe in will bring about change.

McNeill said labor unions, in the 20th century, demanded fair wages and safe labor conditions. But McNeill said fast food workers and teachers in West Virginia are still fighting for those same requests today. Teachers in West Virginia striked Monday after negotiations over the weekend failed to end a walkout.

The group also protested what they said was SU’s treatment of graduate student employees. Phillipson said it’s a shame that SU administrators make more than the student employees.

“He went and got an education, he finished that education, he’s trying to get ahead in life and he is making poverty wages at Syracuse University,” Phillipson said of Daniels.

Graduate student employees, on average, make less than a living wage in Syracuse, which is $22,031 annually, before taxes.

Daniels said graduate school may soon only become accessible to people from wealthy families because graduate student employees are paid less and less each year.

Published on February 26, 2018 at 11:39 pm

Contact Bianca: bmoorman@syr.edu