University of Alaska, Proposed Graduate Student Union Reach Settlement on Bargaining Unit

August 18, 2023

The University of Alaska (UA) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) last week signed a settlement agreement  concerning which students are eligible to be part of a proposed graduate student employee union. The agreement  certifies a bargaining unit made up of graduate student employees and triggers a union election sometime later this fall. 

The agreement is the result of two days of mediation. The UAW originally sought to include some undergraduates and staff employees in the graduate student bargaining unit, and the university opposed their inclusion. After reviewing the  parties’ briefing, in July, the Alaska Labor Relations Agency (ALRA) excluded undergraduates from the unit; following the  two days of mediation, UA and UAW agreed to exclude staff employees as well.  

UA’s goal has always been to ensure that the unit is both functional and compliant with Alaska law. The University  believes this settlement with the proposed unit meets those standards. 

Now that a bargaining unit has been agreed to, the next step in this process will be an election sometime in the fall. UA  and the UAW are awaiting further instructions from the ALRA regarding when and how an election will be conducted,  and the university will provide follow-up information as it becomes available.