Graduate workers union bemoans pace of negotiations with UMaine System [Video]

A year after going public and six months into bargaining, the University of Maine Graduate Workers Union and the University of Maine System have reached tentative agreements on only two of 22 provisions that have so far been proposed in the union’s first contract.

The union and administrators have come to tentative agreements on enforcement of a future contract and union recognition – the basic ground-rules that structure the bargaining process.

But the remaining proposals – including provisions on wages, health care benefits, anti-discrimination and international graduate workers’ rights – are unresolved.

As time goes by without progress, the union of research, teaching and graduate assistants is urging administrators to pick up the pace.

“Our bargaining goals identified urgent issues that need to be addressed. Every day that goes by that we don’t have a contract, graduate workers are struggling,” said Amanda Gavin, a graduate worker and member of the …