Stanford graduate workers agree on first contract with university

The union representing Stanford graduate workers said that they reached a tentative agreement Tuesday night with administrators on the workers’ first-ever contract with the university, averting a strike that would have disrupted the university’s teaching and research functions.

This would be the first contract for the Stanford Graduate Workers Union, which represents more than 3,400 graduate students in teaching assistant and research roles. Union representatives quickly urged members to approve the contract in an upcoming vote. Union members have until Nov. 22 to ratify the proposed contract.

“After over a year of bargaining, we have come to a tentative agreement with Stanford that the bargaining committee unanimously recommends to the membership,” union officials said in a statement on Tuesday.

The tentative agreement would raise wages for most graduate workers; protect workers’ rights to bring up grievances against abuse, misconduct and discrimination; guarantee 5-year funding for Ph.D. graduate workers’ programs; and expand benefits of Emergency Grant-In-Aid. According to Stanford’s financial aid department, Emergency Grant-In-Aid Funds can be used by graduate students who are experiencing a financial emergency or unanticipated expenses that cause financial hardship. The proposed contract would allow graduate workers to reimburse expenses for chronic conditions or mental health care from this fund.

If the contract is approved, most graduate workers would receive a salary increase of between 4.75 and 6.78%, depending on starting salary, starting this academic year. In the 2025-26 academic year, most graduate workers can expect a 4.25% raise. In the 2026-2027 academic year, graduate workers’ salaries will increase by 3.75%.

The proposed contract would also limit graduate workers’ weekly hours to 20, provide $1,200 to international graduate workers and fellows to cover visa fees and outlines leave and time off.

Union leaders say they were driven to demand pay increases due to high housing costs in the Bay Area and inflation over the last several years.

Shantanu Nevrekar, a Ph.D student in anthropology and fellow with the university’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, served on the bargaining committee as the union and university administration were engaged in talks about the contract.

Nevrekar said the discussions were civil and “emotionally moving,” but said the bargaining committee “felt there were certain issues when Stanford wasn’t coming as forthrightly as they should have, and we wanted them to understand our position.”

As an international graduate worker, Nevrekar said he was proud of the union for achieving was the one-time lump sum of $1,200 for international graduate workers to offset visa fees. He also highlighted the Caltrain GoPass program, which would be available for graduate workers commuting to the university.

Lastly, Nevrekar said he was proud of the contract’s inclusion for a non-discrimination article, which would protect graduate workers against sexual harassment and other kinds of discrimination and abuse of power and establishes a grievance process for violations of the contract.

“With all of these wins, I think this is a very strong agreement to ask our members to ratify,” Nevrekar said.

The university could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. A university statement posted online confirmed the deal.

“This tentative agreement came through the dedicated efforts of both bargaining teams and many long hours of discussion at the negotiating table,” university officials said on the school’s graduate student unionization website. “We thank the members of both bargaining committees for their efforts in reaching this agreement.”