Tell UBC: Research is Work
UBC Senate, UBC Board of Governors
The University of British Columbia is the largest university in the province and one of the largest in Canada. Yet it is still without a union for graduate research assistants.
The lack of a union has prevented these UBC student workers from being able to affect their working conditions and negotiate for fair wages. It has meant that they face workplace issues alone, including inadequate health and safety protocols, unclear or inconsistent hiring processes, unchallenged harassment, lack of support for mental health, and widespread overwork and burnout.
To date, thousands of UBC student workers have signed union cards because they want change. Last spring, UBC graduate research assistants signed enough cards to pass the threshold for automatic union certification. And yet, UBC refuses to acknowledge them as workers.
UBC could not function without the contributions of graduate researchers and other academic workers, and they deserve the support and protections of a union.
Tell UBC: Research is Work! Add your name if you agree.
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To:
UBC Senate, UBC Board of Governors
From:
[Your Name]
We, the undersigned, call on the University of British Columbia to recognize the rights of graduate research assistants and other student workers to unionize.
Research is work. UBC relies heavily on the contributions of graduate researchers and other academic workers to maintain its status as a leading institution in education and research. But the lack of a union has left these workers vulnerable and unsupported in numerous ways.
Without a union, UBC student workers lack the collective power to address workplace issues, negotiate for fair wages, and improve working conditions. This has resulted in inadequate health and safety protocols, unclear hiring processes, unchallenged harassment, insufficient support for mental health, and widespread overwork leading to burnout.
Despite thousands of UBC student workers expressing their desire for change by signing union cards, UBC has failed to recognize their rights as workers. Last spring, UBC Graduate Research Assistants met the threshold for automatic union certification, yet UBC continues to deny that research is work.
We urge UBC to respect the rights of its student workers and recognize their right to unionize.