Graduate workers began holding meetings in living rooms & basements to discuss the ongoing housing crisis in the Upper Valley and rampant abuse in our workplace. We recognized that there is only one effective way to address these issues: a united organization, by and for graduate workers, that understands the power of collective action. So, we set out to build a union. 

We voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE), a national member-led union that has organized over 25,000 graduate workers across the United States. We chose to join UE because of the organization's dedication to democracy, equity, militancy, and rank-and-file control. You can read more about UE here. 

We publicly announced our campaign to unionize and began collecting union cards from graduate workers on October 12, 2022. Hundreds of community members joined our rally in solidarity, and over 50% of all graduate workers signed cards to become GOLD-UE members on the first day of our campaign. 

We held an election for union recognition on April 11 and 12 of 2023. Our union won by a margin of 89%, despite Dartmouth's attempt to exclude 54% of graduate workers from our union. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially certified our union on April 20. You can read more about our unprecedented recognition election here. 

Since August 2023, we have been negotiating our premiere contract. We have won precedent-setting protections against workplace abuse and discrimination and are still fighting for strike protections, a living wage, cost of living adjustments (COLA), comprehensive healthcare benefits, and more.