The 1,600 graduate workers in United Graduate Workers-UE Local 1466 secured a six percent raise at the University of New Mexico in their recent compensation reopener negotiations with the university’s administration. This raise will go into effect at the outset of the spring 2024 semester, on top of the 10 percent raise negotiated in Local 1466’s first contract, which went into effect on December 22, 2022. Over the past year, the members of Local 1466 have raised the minimum pay for graduate workers 23.5 percent. The members voted to ratify the agreement on their compensation article after a swift round of negotiations in the past month. The workers were also able to negotiate for another re-opener of the compensation article for the spring, just months after the new raise goes into effect.
This pay increase — and more — is desperately needed. Graduate worker compensation at UNM has lagged far behind inflation for the past decade, and the gap was exacerbated by inflation and especially the rise in housing costs over the past three years. National housing costs have risen by more than 30 percent over the past twelve months, and 42 percent of rank and file members who responded to a survey conducted in the summer of 2023 indicated that they are paying more than half their income towards rent. An additional 40 percent are paying between 30 and 50 percent of their income on rent. Further, 78 percent of respondents on the same survey indicated that they are supporting someone other than themselves on their income, widening the gap between current pay and the needs of graduate workers. Continued wage increases are necessary in order to reverse the trend of graduate workers falling deeper into poverty.
“The wins in this agreement are a big step towards gaining more power from the administration,” said Anne Turner, a member of the union’s bargaining team. “We are on track to winning raises every year for the grad workers of UNM. Before the union, UNM had never given their grad workers an overall raise. Now, we have made them give us two in one year with another only months away.”
The workers put pressure on the university’s administration by holding a rally in front of the office building of the president and provost. Chants and speeches brought attention to the fact that the majority of graduate workers are supporting someone else with their wages. The following day, approximately 50 members of the local attended bargaining and gave direct feedback during caucuses for the bargaining team to bring to the table. The workers lined the hallways on the way to the negotiating room holding signs demanding fair pay for the university’s bargaining team to read. This direct support from membership infused the necessary energy into the negotiations, leading to the wins.
As part of the most recent settlement, workers negotiated for another re-opener in the spring of 2024, which is advantageous for two main reasons. First, spring negotiations coincide with the New Mexico legislative session, which represents an opportunity for workers in Local 1466 to advocate for the allocation of state monies expressly for graduate workers. The goal of this advocacy campaign will be to increase the funding available since the university claimed it was working within a budget that had been set prior to fall negotiations. Second, spring negotiations also allow for an opportunity to leverage solidarity with other unions on campus who will also be bargaining at this time. Finally, this settlement changes the negotiation timeline for the entire contract to spring of 2025 (it was previously fall of 2024), which is advantageous for the same reasons. Therefore, this settlement blazes the trail for raises in the years to come.
The Local 1466 negotiating committee consisted of President Lexi Kenis, Vice President Ramona Malczynski, Treasurer Ian Birdwell, Clerk Anjali Dvorak, Data Chair Samantha Cooney, and Chief Stewards Dominic Oddo, Anna Rose, Anne Turner, and Jarrod Ronquillo. They were assisted by Field Organizer Liz Solis.
The UGW-UE Local 1466 negotiating committee and observers. Back row, left to right: Cory Henn, Western Region President Bryan Martindale, Gilles Valere, Field Organizer Liz Solis. Front row, left to right: Lexi Kenis, Samantha Cooney, Dominic Oddo, Anna Rose, Ian Birdwell.