Consequent of pressure from the Graduate Student Organization, scholarship and activism surrounding the widespread exploitation of academic labor and, most importantly, THE General Body’s protest and occupation of Crouse-Hinds Hall, SU’s most exploited graduate student employees won wage increases last semester. Following the occupation, the Administration promised to “advocate for an increase of the minimum GA stipend by 7 percent,” bringing the minimum allowable wage for graduate employees to $13,910.

While the wage raise represents an important victory, the struggle against academic labor exploitation is far from over. The City of Syracuse clocks a living wage at $19,390 for 9-months, putting our “victory” over $5,000 short. According to the GSO, 59 percent of graduate student employees earn less than this 9-month living wage. Given that graduate students need to feed themselves for all 12 months of the year, moreover, the percentage of graduate students surviving on less than a living wage is likely much higher.

Teaching assistants and graduate employees are responsible for much of the work that makes SU run. We account for one-third of full-time instructors and we perform a host of educational, emotional, intellectual and administrative labor. Graduate student teaching assistants are often the primary contacts for undergraduate students. And yet, as tuition and administrator salaries continue rising to unforeseen heights, graduate students are forced into further debt. Those lucky enough to have them are impelled to dip into savings, while many live check-to-check and struggle to eke out a living each month. We have absolutely no ability to collectively bargain when negotiating contracts, we’re granted few employee rights, and there is minimal recourse to redress mistreatment when it occurs.

Graduate Students United is a collection of graduate student employees organizing to change this and secure graduate students the respect we deserve. We’re organizing in order to fight for better pay, benefits, childcare and reasonable workloads and working conditions. We’re demanding protection from unfair treatment and unreasonable demands. Help us make this happen. The wave of activism on campus last semester is a testament to the real change that students can generate by organizing and struggling collectively for the rights and protections we deserve. Join us for a general interest meeting this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Maxwell Hall, room 204.

Brian Hennigan, geography Ph.D. student and teaching assistant