Regents unanimously approve first collective bargaining agreement for graduate assistants

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents on Jan. 21 unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Graduate Labor Union, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America Local 1105, covering about 4,500 graduate assistants across University of Minnesota campuses.

The agreement sets a new minimum graduate assistant pay level at $27 per hour, establishes several new benefits and training commitments, and will take effect for pay periods beginning Jan. 13, 2025; the board’s action formally authorized the university to implement the contract provisions. Vice President Ken Horstmann presented the agreement and asked the board to approve it.

At a nut graf level, the vote finalizes a multi-year negotiation the university described as complex and places new wage, benefit and training requirements on the university’s administration. Regents and university leaders said the agreement is an important step for workforce reinvestment and for clarifying expectations for supervisors and faculty who work with graduate assistants.

Vice President Ken Horstmann told the board that the contract "covers approximately 4,500 graduate assistants" and summarized key economic provisions. Under the agreement the minimum pay for graduate assistants is $27 per hour; employees earning between $25.72 and $27 will receive a 5% increase to reach that floor. Employees already at $27 or above will receive a 2% increase if they already received merit-pool increases in 2024, or a 5% increase if they did not. The agreement also provides $250 per credit for graduate assistants who are the instructor of record for a course. Horstmann said wage adjustments are effective upon ratification and are not retroactive, and that the changes will be paid beginning with the first paycheck on Feb. 5, 2025.

Horstmann gave the board estimated recurring costs of the agreement: about $4,650,000 in year one, $8,125,000 in year two and $8,375,000 in year three. He also listed non-economic contract articles including union rights, nondiscrimination, workplace safety and grievance procedures, and described memorandums of understanding covering reproductive health benefits, training on the collective bargaining agreement and the union’s request to meet-and-confer about an opt-out from student services fees.

President Cunningham described the contract as "a significant milestone" after more than a year of negotiations and said the university completed administrative implementation work over the winter break so the agreement could be in place for the spring semester. Horstmann and Coy Hillstead, senior labor relations consultant in the Office of Human Resources, described training and education plans for HR, supervisors and faculty. "We actually have started to roll out those training modules that Ken mentioned," Hillstead said, adding that the university has attended departmental and leadership meetings to explain key provisions.

Regents who spoke during discussion praised the negotiation and the outcome. Regent Farnsworth called it a "historic contract and step in the right direction," and Regent Gully congratulated graduate students and organizers for their effort. The board chair and other regents asked for follow-up guidance about how employment questions will be routed under the agreement and how shared governance processes should adapt; Horstmann said academic matters remain separate from the contract and the university will provide follow-up guidance to the regents' office on governance and implementation questions.

Votes at a glance: The board moved to approve the resolution to ratify the collective bargaining agreement. The motion was moved by Regent Farnsworth and seconded by multiple regents (second(s) not named on the record). The board conducted a roll-call vote; the regents identified on the record voted yes and the chair declared the motion unanimously approved.

The agreement covers the period described by university staff as beginning in January 2025 through June 30, 2027; wage changes are effective on the pay period beginning Jan. 13, 2025. The university said the union completed ratification on Dec. 6, 2024, and the negotiations included about 55 full days of bargaining or mediation sessions between Sept. 11, 2023 and Nov. 20, 2024.

The board adjourned after the vote. The university and the Graduate Labor Union will move to implement the contract provisions and continue planned training for HR, faculty and supervisors to ensure compliance and consistent application.