FAQ

What is DGSU?

The Duke Graduate Students Union is an organization of graduate students dedicated to improving our working conditions here at Duke. We have existed since 2016, and have won many improvements since then, including guaranteed dental care, stipend increases, protected gym access, and more.  In August 2022, after a yearlong campaign, we won formal recognition from the National Labor Relations Board, allowing us to formally bargain with the university towards an employment contract. This not only allows us to codify what we have won thus far in a formal contract, but gives us a seat at the table, a legal requirement that the university bargain with us in good faith.

How is the union structured? 

DGSU has five standing committees: bargaining, research, comms, fun, and solidarity. All are open to all graduate workers at Duke. The backbone of our union, however, are union stewards: PhD student workers who have committed to represent the union to their peers, and do the organizing work necessary to make ours a strong organization. The stronger our membership, the better our contract will be!

All PhD students are welcome at any of our meetings, at any time. The meetings targeted at the most broad audience are our general body meetings, which happen monthly. We also have a disorientation event at the beginning of the year targeted at all new students, and a retreat at the beginning of every semester for all union stewards. 

What does it mean to be a member of the union? What benefits do I get?

Being a union member means you have a voice in our organization, and a vote on the contract that we negotiate together. Our parent union SEIU has also negotiated access to significant discounts on airfares, rental cars, and more: if you are a union member, sign up here.

Are there dues associated with becoming a member?

In any union, dues are negotiated as part of the contract, which allow the union to sustain itself and continue to fight on behalf of workers. SEIU’s Southern Region has some of the lowest dues in the county, which are capped at 1.5% of the salary that we negotiate. The dues will only take effect once we sign out first contract, which will almost certainly contain a pay raise far outweighting these dues.

Why do I have to sign up? I thought I was already a union member.

In much of the South, corporations have heavily lobbied for so-called “right to work” laws, which require that every worker actively choose to join the union, instead of all workers being automatically enrolled. This is part of a concerted effort to weaken worker power. The only way to overcome their efforts is to ensure that we all educate each other about the importance of joining. The path to a strong contract is simple: staying united, with as strong of a membership base as possible.

I want X in a contract. How can I get involved in bargaining?

Let us know! Bargaining committee is open to all PhD students.