What is the GSEU?

1. What is the GSEU? • Holding a position as Teaching Assistant (TA) or Graduate Assistant (GA) makes you more than a graduate student: you are also a state employee, belonging to the state workforce and paid with New York State funds. • All state employees are part of their respective Labor Unions. • Unions are responsible for defending, maintaining, and expanding their members’ rights. • Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU): Labor Union for ALL TAs and GAs throughout the SUNY system, including Stony Brook.

2. GSEU: What do we do? • One of the main tasks of GSEU is to negotiate a contract with the State of New York. • This contract determines most TAs and GAs’ benefits and rights. • For example, minimum salary, salary increases, health benefits, among other rights, are all determined by the GSEU/NY State contract. • The contract also allocates money for various funds that can be accessed by graduate students (e.g : some funds can be used for reimbursement of books, tickets to conferences, etc).

3. GSEU: How do we do it? • GSEU also provides TAs and GAs with a variety of tools intended to help graduate students, such as legal representation and advice, and management of grievances. • For example, if you think one of your rights as a graduate student employee is being violated, lawyers and staff at the GSEU can help you. • If necessary, GSEU is ready to take all legal steps to guarantee that your rights are preserved.

4. GSEU: How does it all work? • GSEU is run by you. All members have the right to participate in the process of electing their GSEU representatives – including those representatives that will be directly engaged in contract negotiations. • As in a traditional representative democracy, elected representatives are held accountable to their constituency. • Moreover, main positions are not only elected, but also held by graduate students.

5. GSEU: How are you represented? • GSEU holds monthly meetings where all members can come to voice their concerns. • Major decisions, such as new contracts, salaries, and health benefit changes, must be voted on and approved by graduate students. • Each department should appoint a graduate student to be a GSEU representative (called a Department Mobilizer). • Each campus also elects a Business Agent and a Chief Steward who represent TAs and GAs before the state.

6. GSEU: How is it structured? • GSEU has a bottom-up structure, with the Department Mobilizers as its base. • GSEU is present in all SUNY campuses and colleges. • GSEU is affiliated with the Communication Workers of America, one of the largest labor unions in the United States.

7. GSEU: Funding • Our resources come from employees’ dues: • State employees pay a small fee to the union (e.g. $30 per month if you receive $1,500 monthly). • This is determined by state law and will be deducted from your pay check. • Money put to service of graduate students: • Getting a better contract by hiring staff and lawyers. • Providing legal assistance. • Addressing students’ grievances.

8. GSEU: Your participation • Simply being a TA/GA automatically makes you part of GSEU. That already gives you a series of rights and benefits. • But in order to fully enjoy your rights in GSEU, you must become a member. • Becoming a member is simply a formalization of your intention to exert all your rights. It has no additional cost at all. • Being a member gives you two extra rights, namely: • You must be a member in order to join any of the voting processes described above. • You will receive regular updates and information about the latest contract negotiations, union actions, and other relevant news.

9. GSEU: Enjoy! • Finally, GSEU works to construct a more enjoyable graduate community: • We promote info-sessions with themes related to academic life. • Promote parties and other social events. • Co-sponsor student-related activities on and off campus.

10. GSEU: Knowing more. • To know more about GSEU, including who to contact regarding different issues, visit: www.gseu.org