Labor
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Contrary to the historical prowess of labor unions in the city, UChicago has continuously attempted to deny workers’ rights and their integral contributions to campus. UChicago is a collection of tens of thousands of individuals – janitors, secretaries, student workers, drivers, faculty, security, teaching assistants, engineers, lecturers, nurses and many more; these workers keep the university running, yet the university reliably fails to respect them. Many campus workers have unionized and taken action to amplify workers’ voices and win fair wages, benefits, and improved working conditions.
Graduate Student Union (GSU): GSU began their efforts to unionize in 2017; in Spring 2023, they won recognition. They quickly began bargaining with the university to obtain a fair contract for Grad Student Workers. In Spring 2024, After a year of negotiations marked by rallies and strike threats, GSU secured a just contract.
UCPD: In April 2024, a UChicago Maroon article detailed the University's recent bargaining history with the UCPD. According to the officers union, the university consistently missed longevity raises – thereby underpaying workers – and was not communicative during collective contract negotiations.
Hospital Workers: In March 2024, after months of negotiation with UChicago Medicine, the National Nurses United (NNU) group at UChicago Medicine held a one-day strike to bring light to unsafe staffing conditions at the hospital. Following the strike, NNU was able to secure a fair contract that includes commitment to increasing workplace safety for nurses and wage increases.
In July 2024, the UChicago Hospital supply chain workers of SEIU Local 73 went on strike to fight for affordable health insurance, improved benefits, wages that keep up with inflation, and protections for supply chain quotas. After a week of striking, the SEIU Local 73 was able to secure a just contract that one hospital worker described as “the best contract I’ve seen…at the hospital.”
