Stanford University grad students vote to unionize for better wages, working conditions

RESEARCH INSTITUTION LIKE STANFORD BETTER, THAT'S WHY GRADUATE STUDENT INSTRUCTORS AND RESEARCHERS SAY THEY VOTED TO UNIONIZE. >> STANFORD IS OUR EMPLOYER AND LANDLORD. REPORTER: IT WAS A LANDSLIDE WIN BY 94% VOTING YES TO UNIONIZE ON THURSDAY. MONICA, A PHD STUDENT IN THE EARTH PLANETARY SCIENCES DEPARTMENT, SAID A KEY GOAL IS HIGHER WAGES. >> CONTRARY TO WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT STANFORD, MOST OF US COME FROM WORKING CLASS BACKGROUND. OUR PARENTS CAN HELP US OUT OUT THERE. REPORTER: WAGES CAN RANGE. THOSE IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CAN MAKE 38,000. THOSE IN LIFE SCIENCES CAN MAKE 48,000. THOSE IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING CAN MAKE AROUND 60,000. >> WE'VE BEEN GOING TO THE FOOD PANTRY. WE DON'T HAVE PROPER HEALTH CARE. WE'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEAR. STANFORD HASN'T LISTENED. THE QUALITY OF OUR RESEARCH GOES DOWN. REPORTER: THE UNIVERSITY SAYS, THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE ELECTION AND THOSE WHO PROVIDED SUPPORT. AS LEADERS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO RESPECT, SUPPORT, AND WORK TO ADVANCE THE NEEDS OF OUR GRADUATE STUDENT COMMUNITY. >> IT'S AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. GOING TO STANFORD COSTS SO MUCH. WE ARE HERE TO WORK BUT WE ALSO DESERVE TO HAVE REST TIME, VACATION TIME. RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO PROTECTIONS. REPORTER: NEXT STEP IS ELECTING A BARGAINING COMMITTEE.

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 1,043

Keywords: news, abc, abc7news, stanford university students unionize, union, stanford graduate students union, stanford worker wages, stanford grad workers

Id: 4YwK5pwfGU0

Length: 1min 42sec (102 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 07 2023