Real recourse in the grievance process

With a union contract, workplace disputes (including discrimination/harassment) are resolvable by a fair and expedient grievance procedure and, ultimately, appeal to a neutral arbitrator. Workers who report a discrimination/harassment claim are protected to ensure their research and career progress are not derailed. State and federal agencies can also be utilized for claims. Here are recent grievances filed by academic workers and the recourse they have won:

racism and sexism

A faculty member who led a 1000-person-per-quarter computer science intro course had a history of disrupting diversity lunches and listservs and aggressively contradicting people who pushed for greater commitment to underrepresented populations. In 2018 he wrote an article called “Why Women Don’t Code.”

Outcome: The academic worker union filed a grievance, authored 2 op-eds, and circulated a petition. The faculty member was removed from teaching the Intro class the following quarter; the union designed and implemented a relevant training for faculty and academic workers; and the university established a committee to develop ways to measure every faculty’s success at being a mentor.

Speak Test

One campus implemented a language-testing policy for Academic Student Employees based on country of origin, not on English-speaking ability. The Union filed a grievance about this test as a violation of the Union’s non-discrimination article and filed Requests for Information about the matter in the months that followed.

Outcome: The University is going to change its test and workers who have taken the test since the grievance was filed will have their test fees paid back as restitution.

International Student Fee 

The University implemented an “international student fee” and the union filed a grievance about this matter, claiming that the fee violated the non-discrimination and wages article of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Outcome: The University revoked the fee on graduate students.

hostile work environment

A professor of Pharmacology had repeatedly engaged in conduct that created a hostile and offensive work environment for academic workers in the department (particularly women) but had not been subject to any corrective action by the University despite multiple complaints. 

Outcome: The academic worker union filed a grievance, wrote an op-ed, and 8 months later settled the grievance as follows: Within three days upon filing the grievance, the TA in his class was excused from having the teach with him anymore for the rest of the term and was provided full pay with no loss of status. Additionally, the faculty member no longer has lab space in the department and was removed from teaching introductory-level classes and interacting with TAs and RAs.

Sexual Harassment

An Academic Student Employee was harassed by the Supervisor who they taught for, graded for, and was advised by. The University’s Title IX case was a failure. The Union filed a grievance against Title IX and the University.

Outcome: The University reorganized Title IX office (re-assigned personnel in the office); outside Counsel came in to conduct a competent investigation; the Department changed its practices and conducted trainings to have a better culture; and the TA was made whole (restitution for medical bills, was supported in order to finish the program, etc.).