In her first year as an international graduate worker, Judith Rakowski told people she was practicing intermittent fasting. In reality, she wasn’t able to afford more than a meal a day.
The University of Maryland’s Graduate Labor Union (GLU) says Rakowski is far from the only graduate student suffering from food and housing insecurity. At a Wednesday rally for union recognition, Rakowski and other speakers shared stories of roach-infested apartments, showering in offices, and frequenting the school’s food pantry.
Almost 1,000 UMD graduate workers and community members marched and rallied on Wednesday to demand the university officially recognize the union and begin a collective-bargaining process for higher wages and better working conditions.
For many graduate workers, these changes can’t come soon enough.
Ikrem Yusuf, 28, attended the protest to demonstrate solidarity with other graduate students.
“Most people, if not everyone that I know, has either pulled out a loan. I know some people who have a side job [and] that’s not really recommended by the institution or the program,” said Yusuf, who is a second year clinical psychology PhD student.
Seamus Wilson, 24, a first-year master’s student studying early modern America, played “Solidarity Forever” on the fife throughout the march.
“Having a union is better for everyone,” said Wilson.
The estimated livable wage for one person in Prince George’s County is $58,643, according to MIT’s living wage calculator. At the University of Maryland, the stipend for a 9.5 month graduate worker is $28,406.
Many graduate workers say the wages provided by UMD are not enough to meet basic living expenses.
The average rent for a studio apartment in Prince George’s County is over $2,600, according to RentHop. With graduate workers’ stipends averaging around $2,367 per month before taxes, housing costs alone can take up most of a worker’s paycheck.
“The university has $400 million in unrestricted funds that they’re able to use at their leisure, and they choose not to spend it on supporting the livelihood of their students,” said Cody B. Norton, a union organizer and doctoral student in Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership. “They continue to exploit their students.”
Stephen Roth, graduate school dean, did not respond to Al-Hikmah’s request for comment.
In a statement to Al-Hikmah, the university said, “The university administration continues to work closely with the Graduate Student Government, the Graduate Assistant Advisory Council, and other student groups to identify student concerns and work to find common ground in advancing improvements.”
At the rally, GLU circulated a letter which they plan to send to President Pines once they reach 2,000 signatures. The letter demands that “UMD immediately recognize GLU-UAW, work with us to enshrine our collective bargaining rights in state law, and begin the negotiation process for a union contract immediately.”
If Pines does not respond, union leaders have promised an escalation in tactics.
“Insha’Allah [God willing] we can make some changes,” said Yusuf. “We should just pray and hope that other grad students in the future get the compensation they deserve.”
Image credits: Cover photo by Bex Heimbrock/Al-Hikmah Staff.
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