Is it legal for Maryland grad students to form a Union?
Yes! By law, the University is not required to negotiate with a graduate student union, but it’s perfectly legal for us to form, organize, and talk about a union. Long and well-tested Federal laws protect the right of employees in any situation to discuss unionization and to associate together for mutual benefit. For example, we have the right to talk about a union in the workplace, and and to have union meetings in designated non-work areas (e.g. a department lunch room). Many states have laws that specifically deny certain groups of employees (often various types of state employees) the right to collective bargaining. Maryland currently has such laws but is amenable to changing them. In 2001, University staff were removed from the groups barred from collective bargaining. We have a very strong chance of changing this law in the 2011 legislative session. This will allow MTR to negotiate contracts on behalf of its members and others in the bargaining unit.
Related Questions
- Does the Office of Legal Affairs provide legal advice to students, and employees with regard to personal matters unrelated to the University?
- How are home (those who qualify for the subsidized European Union student tuition fee) students funded for MRes programmes?
- What is the Students Union doing about the NSS?
