Graduate student workers at Colorado State University have unionized as part of a push for higher pay and lower fees. The Graduate Workers Organizing Cooperative has about 90 members though the university has 2,000 grad students working for it. The Coloradoan reports the university implemented 3% raises for grad students in the upcoming budget, but union members said they need an increase of 26% to be in line with competing universities. They added CSU’s fees are at least double that of similar institutions. In a statement, Ph.D. student Stefanie Berganini said the university prioritizes infrastructure over people. A spokesman for CSU told the Coloradoan that grad students are “critical” to the university’s success and mission, and they’ve made grad student stipends a priority as they work to rebuild from financial hardships suffered during the pandemic. He also pointed out grad student tuition won’t rise in the upcoming year. For the full story, visit https://www.coloradoan.com/.
