All RAs, TAs, GAs, and fellows who will receive the full benefits and protections of the contract, must choose to either:
- Become a member of NUGW-UE Local 1122 and pay dues OR
- Not become a member, and instead pay an agency fee to the Union.
Dues fund a strong union that can win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Union dues go directly to NUGW-UE Local 1122 to fund the training, support, materials, staff, and other resources we need to maintain an independent, democratic, rank-and-file union. Union dues are 1.44% of our gross monthly stipend.
Agency fees, which are authorized by federal law, are equivalent to union dues and cover your fair share of supporting our effort to bargain collectively with our employer and improve and defend our working conditions. Non-member fee-payers forego all rights and benefits of union membership.
In order to access membership rights, you must be a dues-paying member of NUGW-UE Local 1122. Such rights include voting in union elections, running for union officer and steward positions, attending General Membership Meetings (GMMs), and participating in the decision-making and democracy of our union. Only union members are eligible to vote.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Unions
What do unions do?
Unions are a tool through which a workforce, acting as a single entity, negotiates working conditions, compensation, and benefits with an employer. While an individual worker has limited negotiating leverage, a union, representing the full labor force, offers substantial leverage over the employer. This additional power allows workers to secure more substantial improvements to their workplace. Further, as unions are composed of members of the workforce, they allow workers to actively change their workplace, thus making the workplace more inherently democratic.
What is a recognition campaign?
Before a union can negotiate on behalf of a labor force, it must be recognized as representing the laborers. This can happen in two ways: first, 30% of workers sign cards or a petition to form a union and submit it to the NLRB, after which there will be a general referendum on union formation with a simple majority of voters deciding the result. Alternatively, the employer may voluntarily recognize a union as representing a majority of workers. Both processes take broad support from the workforce, so involving every worker as much as possible is essential.
What is collective bargaining?
Collective bargaining follows a recognition campaign. It is the process by which a union negotiates with an employer on behalf of the bargaining unit, the part of the labor force represented by the union. During this process, the union is represented by a bargaining committee that negotiates terms with the employer’s representatives, and, after sufficient deliberation, an agreed-upon draft is sent to the rank-and-file union members for a ratification vote. In the event that a bargaining committee is unable to negotiate an acceptable contract, rank-and-file members may remove and replace them. After a contract is ratified, the protections and guarantees earned by the workers remain in place for the duration of the contract.
What is a union contract or collective bargaining agreement?
When workers form a union, they collectively come up with a proposed contract that includes all of the rules of the workplace as well as any changes to those rules that they would like to see. That proposed contract is negotiated over by the union and the administration until full agreement is reached, then the edited contract goes back to the full union membership for a vote. If the membership ratifies the final contract, it becomes the official rules by which the administration and workers operate.
Who is the NLRB?
The NLRB is the National Labor Relations Board, an administrative agency created by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. The NLRB oversees union elections, and cases can be brought before the board to investigate and remedy unfair labor practices instituted by employers. In a 2016 filing from Columbia graduate students, the NLRB ruled that graduate student workers employed at private universities are entitled to protections under the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to form a union for the purposes of collective bargaining. In 2021, a proposed rule reversing this decision was withdrawn, helping to secure Northwestern graduate students’ right to form a union for the coming years.
Membership
How do I become a member of NUGW-UE Local 1122?
To become a current member of the Union, you must sign a membership card and pay monthly membership dues. The easiest way to do this is to fill out a digital membership/dues authorization form. If you were previously a member, to become a current member, you must sign a new digital membership card.
What's the difference between being a member and paying agency fees?
The amount owed for dues and fees is the same (1.44% of your monthly gross pay), but signing a member card allows you to vote in union elections, run for union officer and steward positions, attend General Membership Meetings (GMMs), and participate in the democratic decision-making of NUGW. Non-member fee-payers forgo all rights and benefits of union membership.
Dues and Agency Fees
What are union dues, and what do they fund?
Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between NUGW and Northwestern, all graduate workers covered by the CBA are obligated to pay 1.44% of their monthly gross income as membership dues or agency fees as a condition of employment. Dues fund a strong union that can win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Union dues go directly to NUGW-UE Local 1122 to fund the training, support, materials, staff, and other resources we need to maintain an independent, democratic, rank-and-file union.
Please be advised that bargaining unit status is NOT contingent on union membership, but is determined by the terms of the CBA.
Do I have to pay dues?
If you are covered by our contract, you can either become a member of NUGW-UE Local 1122 and pay dues or, if you choose not to become a member, pay an agency fee to the Union. This fee, which is authorized by federal law, is equivalent to union dues and covers your fair share of supporting our effort to bargain collectively with our employer and improve and defend our working conditions.
Are my dues automatically deducted?
Northwestern does not automatically collect dues or fees unless a graduate worker authorizes them to do so by signing an NUGW membership card or authorizing agency fee deductions. NUGW also does not have the power to deduct dues or fees from your paycheck. The University can only do so if authorized.
How can I pay my dues?
The most convenient way to pay dues is by signing up for payroll deduction using the digital membership/dues authorization form. By filling out this form, your dues will automatically be deducted from your paycheck and forwarded to the Union.
If you would prefer not to use this method of automatic payment, you may pay your dues directly to NUGW-UE Local 1122 on a monthly basis.
Back Dues
What are "back dues"?
Back dues are accrued during times when you were considered part of the bargaining unit (“in-unit”) but had not signed a member card or authorized agency fee deductions. Back dues will not and cannot be deducted from your paycheck.
I am no longer in-unit. Do I still have to pay back dues?
Yes. Under the conditions of the CBA, bargaining unit status is conditional on the type of position you hold rather than your enrollment in Northwestern as a graduate student. So while you may currently not be in-unit, back dues may be owed for a past quarter in which you were.
What does it mean if I receive a "back dues" invoice?
Each invoice represents a specific month for which back dues or fees are owed. The statement summary is the total amount of back dues owed. If you would like further details on those invoices, you may request them by contacting financials@nugradworkers.org.
Do I have to pay all the invoices at once?
No. While you will need to pay all back dues to be in compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, you can pay the invoices individually as is within your means. The Union will never charge you interest or late fees for dues payments. However, we encourage you to pay what invoices you can as soon as possible, because collected back dues will fund NUGW’s Strike and Defense Fund in advance of our 2027 contract renegotiations.
How can I avoid having to pay back dues?
You can do so by signing a member card or authorizing agency fee deductions, which will allow Northwestern to deduct dues or fees directly from your paycheck. You can find the links to sign a member card or authorize deductions here. If you decline to do either, you will continue to accrue back dues and may face penalties as a result of failure to pay.
Bargaining Unit
Who is excluded from the bargaining unit?
- Undergraduate students
- Graduate students who are not providing instructional or research services for the University
- Graduate students not seeking Northwestern degrees, including visiting students
- Graduate student graders, tutors, and proctors who are not otherwise providing instructional or research services for the University
- Assistant Chairs in residential colleges
- Residential Assistants
- Students enrolled in the Pritzker School of Law
- M.D.-seeking students in the Feinberg School of Medicine (including M.D./Ph.D. students in Feinberg who are in their M.D. phase of studies)
- Students enrolled in the Medill School of Journalism
- Office clericals, managers, guards, and supervisors as defined in the National Labor Relations Act
Contact
Who can I contact with questions about invoices, dues, membership, or agency fees?
For questions about invoice payment, financial concerns, or if you received an invoice in error (e.g., if you’ve graduated or left Northwestern), email financials@nugradworkers.org or call (847) 425-0078. Email is preferred, as we monitor our inbox more carefully.
For general questions about union membership, dues, or agency fees, email nugraduateworkers@gmail.com.
Please do not call any phone number listed on past invoices. It is the personal number of a former staff member and was included on the invoices in error.