Organizing graduate workers at the University of Rochester to improve our working and living conditions! Affiliated with SEIU Local 200United
04/19/2025
THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER REFUSES TO MEET WITH GRADUATE WORKERS. Grads drove all the way to Syracuse to meet with the university's attorneys but they refused to meet with us in the room. This institution does not respect us nor the work we do. On Monday, we go on strike so we can win a fair process to unionize for all of us and the dignity that we deserve.
04/18/2025
Join our pickets starting Monday, April 21st! As long as we picket and strike we can stop the University from receiving shipments from the Teamsters.
04/17/2025
Our main picket location will be on the public sidewalk at the intersection of Elmwood and Wilson. We will be coordinating other picket locations from our primary picket location and via our Signal Group Chat so that no shipments reach UR.
Community Members can park for free in Genesee Valley Park and join our picket. While you cannot strike, you can help us stop shipments to the university.
Graduate workers at University of Rochester held a picket line all day yesterday. Graduate workers across campus are ready to strike! Hear from grads about why they are personally ready to strike, and what this strike means and what they are fighting for.
04/15/2025
Graduate workers, undergraduates, faculty, staff, elected officials, and community allies joined us today for our informational picket. Graduate workers are ready to strike in six days on Monday, April 21st unless the UR administration agrees to give us a fair process to form a union. We had a deal in December, but after months of delays they betrayed their word and abruptly backed out.
We heard from grads, faculty, union leaders, and elected officials. One international graduate worker, too afraid to speak directly due to Trump's attacks, had their statement read aloud by Mary Lupien for Mayor. This grad charged that the University of Rochester under the leadership of President Mangelsdorf and Provost Sampson are not doing enough to protect their international workers and students. A graduate union would enable all grads to have more protections, especially international grads.
We have made repeated attempts to reach out to the administration yet they still refuse to even meet with us. If this continues we will strike on Monday until a deal is reached.
Over half of graduate workers at the University of Rochester, Rochester’s largest employer, are international students. They are part of the 90% of us who voted to go on strike to assert our right to a union election. However, with xenophobic ICE raids and visa terminations without due process happening at college campuses across the country, there is fear of putting a target on our backs by participating in public actions like picketing. In fact, in the last week at least 11 UR students are known to have had their visa status changed by DHS with no warning to the students or the University.
It comes down to this: International graduate workers wouldn’t need to take on the additional risks that come with striking if the UR would agree to give us our union election. And yet because we believe in the importance of having a union, especially in this current moment, we have no choice but to act.
We are calling on community members to join us on Tuesday April 15th for our informational picket to keep us safe and show your support for us in this fight (we’ll be there 8am-4pm, with speakers at 1 pm).
We will be at the intersection on Elmwood Ave between the river campus and the medical center (near the clock tower). Free 2 hr. parking available at college town. Genessee valley park is also within walking distance and free. Paid parking available at URMC garage.
Mask up and wear black or purple in solidarity.
Other ways to support (links in bio):
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Spread our compiled list of immigration resources with anyone at risk from ICE: https://linktr.ee/uofrimmigrationresources
Donate to the strike and hardship fund – the UofR has already threatened to withhold student stipends for striking:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ur-grad-labor-union-strike-and-hardship-fund
Learn more about the current threat on higher education posed by ICE:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/03/how-trump-wreaking-havoc-student-visa-system
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/08/trump-admin-broadens-scope-student-visa
Donate to our Strike & Hardship Fund!
04/12/2025
The community has our backs! The Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, a body of all the labor unions in the area, will be showing up at our picket lines in force. We have built a strong campus and community coalition, while the University of Rochester stands alone.
04/11/2025
We are collecting money for our strike and hardship fund - https://www.gofundme.com/f/ur-grad-labor-union-strike-and-hardship-fund?attribution_id=sl%3Ae3f16743-2d60-4de8-9f34-0f3c341103a6
On April 21, 2025, graduate workers at the University of Rochester are going on strike.
Graduate workers teach, mentor, and conduct essential research in full time capacities. Yet some of us earn as little as $15,000 a year and have working conditions devoid of dignity and respect. Despite our critical role as workers, the UofR’s administration backed out of a finalized election agreement which would allow us a pathway to form our union, and cut off communication with the Graduate Labor Union (GLU).
The University is denying over 1,500 graduate workers of our right to a fair union election.
We ask our community to contribute to a strike and hardship fund to help striking graduate workers cover rent, food, transportation, and potential legal support if the University withholds pay.
The administration has already affirmed their ability to do so in their Strike FAQ:
“Consistent with Federal law, universities are not required to pay graduate students who are on strike. Thus, if a graduate student strikes, their university may withhold pay.”
This GoFundMe is one of several ways we’re raising funds to support striking graduate workers. We’re working with local unions, and meeting with community members and organizations who are contributing through other channels.
04/10/2025
JOIN OUR INFORMATIONAL PICKET! Tuesday 4/15 from 8am to 4pm at the crosswalk between URMC and River Campus on Elmwood Avenue. Speakers will start at 1 pm. We need to demonstrate to the University of Rochester that we are strike ready. We need a fair process to form a union now.
04/09/2025
GLU CHARGES UR ADMIN BROKE THE LAW. The University of Rochester didn’t just break our trust. Our demand letter shows how they broke the law. They begged us to cancel our protest, promising they’d sign the agreement for a fair election — and then they walked away. But we’re calling their bluff — by law we have a binding contract, and we’re demanding they honor it. See our website for the demand letter.