Stanford Graduate Staff Union launches marketing campaign with over 2500 signed playing cards

Graduate student-workers rallied at White Plaza on Monday in assist of the Stanford Graduate Staff Union (SGWU), which publicly launched its unionization marketing campaign Monday morning.

SGWU organizers distributed “playing cards” — authorization types that graduate student-workers can fill out to point their willingness to hitch the union — and T-shirts that learn “STANFORD WORKS BECAUSE WE DO” on the rally.

The union has tallied over 2500 signed playing cards as of Tuesday morning, in response to a Tweet by organizers.

Audio system on the rally included SGWU organizers, who signify graduate college students from a number of fields of examine. Of their speeches, many introduced up persistent points which have been a degree of frustration for graduate scholar advocacy, together with lack of affordability and meals insecurity.

Organizer Tania Flores, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Iberian and Latin American Cultures, cited excessive rent-to-income ratios and the twin position of Stanford as graduate student-workers’ employer and landlord as a number of the the reason why graduate work at Stanford is “more and more much less accessible,” particularly for college students from “systematically disenfranchised communities.”

Audio system additionally talked about unaffordable healthcare, lackluster psychological well being providers and office harassment as just a few of the quite a few points motivating the unionization marketing campaign.

Organizer Miikka Jaarte, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in philosophy, cited visa charges and fears of deportation as distinctive challenges that worldwide college students face. Worldwide college students’ “capacity to remain within the nation” can depend upon their relationship with their advisor, Jaarte mentioned.

Jaarte added that worldwide college students’ rights to take part in union exercise are protected by the identical legal guidelines that defend U.S. college students’ rights. “Stanford won’t be able to pit us towards one another,” he mentioned.

“We’re the union,” Jaarte mentioned. “And we’re going to have every others’ backs.”

Undergraduates Angel Manuel De Dios ’26 and Olivia Fu ’23 from Stanford College students for Staff’ Rights (SWR) additionally spoke on the rally, expressing solidarity with graduate college students. De Dios mentioned {that a} graduate scholar who was their instructing assistant in a math class impressed them to like math — a narrative that highlights the position of graduate college students within the College’s instructing actions, in addition to their impression on undergrads.

College spokesperson Stett Holbrook wrote in a press release to The Day by day that Stanford “vastly [values] the various contributions our graduate college students make to Stanford’s mission of instructing and analysis.”

In keeping with Holbrook, the College “[works] onerous” to “perceive, respect and be attentive to” Stanford graduate college students’ wants with a view to “foster their well-being throughout their time at Stanford.”

Graduate student-workers on the rally advised a distinct story.

Sarah Izabel, a first-year Ph.D. scholar in neuroscience and SGWU organizer, mentioned that as a single mother, she has struggled to afford meals and hire regardless of receiving grants from Stanford. “On the finish of the quarter I find yourself going into debt,” she mentioned, “after which should make up firstly of the quarter.”

Izabel cited healthcare as one other challenge on the prime of individuals’s minds. “Lots of people actually need assistance with well being bills,” she mentioned, including that even with insurance coverage, bills like copays “could be a lot.”

Deniz Bingul, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience and SGWU organizer, added: “It’s onerous to disclaim college students are actually in disaster proper now.”

The coed-workers expressed their dedication to collective motion.

“I’m right here for all college students,” Izabel mentioned, including, “I do know I’m not the one one on this place.”

“We’re out right here,” Bingul mentioned. “The numbers communicate for themselves.”

Hannah Johnston, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in historical past and SGWU organizer, referred to as the rally “actually energizing.”

“We had an ideal turnout,” Johnston mentioned. “And it was actually thrilling to see graduate staff from throughout the college come collectively and construct our union.”

This text has been up to date to mirror the Union’s most up-to-date day-one card totals.