CU Boulder graduate workers have to pay $1,000-2,000 every year to their employer, the university, in the form of fees. To put that in perspective: for many graduate workers, their entire COVID stimulus checks will be paid back to their employer in the coming year as mandatory grad fees. Those checks are meant to help people house and feed themselves during a pandemic, not to be taken by their employers. For graduate workers who will not get stimulus checks, mandatory fees are even more damaging. Together, we will tell the CU Boulder graduate school that graduate workers should not need to pay to work.

Once you sign up, you will receive a follow-up email before April 5th with specific instructions. If you are a CU employee or student, we encourage you to sign up for this campaign using a non-CU email address if you have one. The more calls the better, so spread the word by sharing this campaign on social media or via email

Frequently asked questions

Q: Do I have to be a graduate worker to call?

A: No! Thank you for your solidarity. (We will provide optional scripts on the day of the call for both graduate workers and non-graduate workers)

Q: Do I have to be a union member to call?

A: No. This campaign is organized by your union, United Campus Workers Colorado, but that doesn't mean you have to be a union member to call. You just need to agree that being required to pay to work is bad.

Q: What time of day will I have to call on Monday, April the 5th?

A: Up to you. There is not an exact time of day for the call.

Q: How can I support more actions like this?

A: Join your union! Our mission is to champion and defend the interests and well-being of all University labor, as well as to build and sustain social and economic justice in our workplaces and in our communities. A union has strength in numbers, so check us out and join!