GW graduate students and their allies staged “grade-ins” last Thursday and Friday to demand recognition of their union, GW Graduate Students United. GW has refused to recognize GSU and had refused to even meet with the group to discuss their desire to unionize and win more affordable health insurance and higher pay for teaching and research assistants. At Thursday’s grade-in, “graduate workers did exactly that...we worked,” Pat Geiger told Union City. Sitting on the floor outside Provost Forrest Maltzman’s office in Rice Hall, “We graded papers, held office hours, and (fellow grad student Jackie Bolduan) even hosted her discussion section with us.” The GSU members were joined by GW undergrads and representatives from GAGE, Georgetown's graduate union, and after an hour, Maltzman agreed to meet. While the meeting proved “disappointing,” – Maltzman reiterated that GW had no interest in recognizing the union – Geiger says “we are encouraged by the successes of our organizing thus far” and says GSU plans to continue staging protests across campus. “What we are asking for is not radical,” says Geiger. “Graduate worker unions have been around for quite some time. Georgetown has agreed to exactly what we are asking GW to agree to.”
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