Bargaining

2026 3rd Contract Bargaining

GWU’s current contract expires June 30th 2026, so this Spring 2026 semester we will begin bargaining our 3rd contract with ISU Administration. Having a union means that you have a direct say in your pay, raises, student fee relief, protections, and working conditions AND that these improvements are put into a legally-binding contract.

Remember that “strong membership gets the goods”. We need each person to join the union and get involved. Becoming a member empowers you to have a voice in your union and your working conditions. Together we can show administration that we are united and serious about improvements to GTA’s lives.

What is Bargaining?

Collective bargaining (sometimes just called "bargaining") is a process, recognized and protected by state law, that balances the power relationship between employees and their employer. Under collective bargaining, union representatives negotiate on equal footing with ISU administration and put the terms of our employment into a legally binding contract.

Through collective bargaining, graduate workers unions have successfully negotiated improvements in wages, hours, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment. Without collective bargaining, ISU has unilateral power to change our conditions or decide whether or not to make improvements. Without a union, ISU can also take away benefits or decrease pay.

Bargaining terms

Bargaining Unit

The workers represented by a union and covered in a union contract.

Caucus

A separate discussion by one party (Union or Employer) that interrupts the main bargaining session during contract negotiations. Can be called by either party to resolve internal disagreements, plan strategy, discuss how to respond to something the other party has proposed, etc. Graduate workers observing contract negotiations are invited to participate in caucuses of the GWU bargaining committee.

Contract

An agreement reached through collective bargaining between workers and management.

Mediation

A form of dispute resolution using a neutral third party, called a mediator. Mediation is mandatory at the request of either party under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA). Mediators are generally called in late in the bargaining process to help facilitate.

Permissive Subjects

Issues that are not mandatory subjects of bargaining are considered permissive, meaning that either side can request to bargain over, but the other side can choose not to without bargaining in bad faith.

Regressive Bargaining

A specific form of bad faith bargaining when one side moves backwards, offering less on a proposal than they previously offered. If one party thinks the other is bargaining regressively or in bad faith, they can file an unfair labor practice, or ULP.

Tentative Agreement (TA)

In bargaining, TA stands for Tentative Agreement (not Teaching Assistant). A TA is a proposal, or package of proposals, that both parties have signed off on and agree will be in the final contract. Once something is TA’d it’s “off the table,” meaning neither side can make any more changes to it.

Bargaining update 3/1/24: Tentative agreement ratified

The Graduate Workers Union bargaining committee is happy to announce that we had an excellent turnout for voting on contract ratification. The majority of voters, 93%, voted “yes” to ratify the contract between GWU and ISU.

See below for a press release with the details of the contract!

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