The 2009–11 state budget permits the unionization of research assistants at UW–Madison. This site is designed to provide more information to the university community regarding the issue, with the goal of promoting full campus discussion.
A message from Chancellor Martin
Last updated: July 1
Graduate students and the university community,
I am writing to inform you of a provision in the 2009–11 state budget that affects University of Wisconsin–Madison research assistants and is a matter of importance for the campus.
The legislation, passed by both houses of the Legislature and signed into law by the governor, permits the unionization of research assistants. I am writing to provide information on the process and to encourage open and informed discussion of the issues.
Because some of you are aware of the current statutory procedures for state employees forming unions, you should be aware that the process for research assistants differs from those procedures.
The process for research assistants will involve a single step: the signing of authorization cards by research assistants, which would serve as an affirmative vote to form a union.
That differs from the current statutory process for other state employees (including faculty and academic staff who will also be permitted to form unions under the budget’s provisions), which involves two steps: a 30 percent showing of interest through a signed authorization card, and a secret ballot administered by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission.
In the case of research assistants, a majority (50 percent plus one) will have to sign authorization cards for a union to be formed, and there will be no subsequent vote.
This measure became part of the budget bill relatively recently, and we continue to analyze the language of the bill and the process it lays out.
The university’s interest in the issue can be described very simply. We are an academic community in which open, informed discussion is not only a norm, but is also the very definition of what we do.
The decision about whether to form a union is a decision for our research assistants. The university administration encourages informed debate and ample opportunity for research assistants to inform themselves before deciding whether to sign authorization cards.
It is our hope that students will gather and discuss the issues in depth, and that faculty and staff will also inform themselves, contribute to the discussion and express opinions. Faculty must bear in mind, however, that, by law, neither faculty nor administrators may interfere with students’ decisions, either through threats or promises in exchange for a positive or negative vote. Faculty opinions should be expressed in ways that are informative and avoid any form of intimidation or coercion of our students.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Biddy Martin
Chancellor
A message to faculty
Dear Faculty,
As you know, the governor has now signed the state budget. I encourage you to visit the budget site, linked from our home page, for highlights and analysis. In this message, I wish to call a particular measure to your attention, one that became part of the process relatively recently. The state budget bill signed by the governor gives University of Wisconsin–Madison research assistants the right to unionize through a card-authorization process.
I have urged research assistants to seek information and take the time to understand all sides of the issue before deciding whether to sign an authorization card.
As I noted in a message to the entire campus, the bill signed by the governor does not include the usual two-step process: the signing of an authorization card, followed by the opportunity to cast a vote anonymously.
In this case, the signing of authorization cards will constitute the equivalent of a vote. This has the potential to abbreviate the period of time for discussion and informed debate. For that reason, I have written to our graduate students to explain the one-step process and to promote discussion among them.
As faculty, you need to be aware that state collective-bargaining laws place restrictions on the employer during an organizing effort. As faculty, you are considered representatives of the employer.
Under state law, UW-Madison faculty members and administrators may not “interfere with, restrain or coerce,” which means that you may not threaten or make promises to students in exchange for their support for, or opposition to, unionization.
The choice about whether to form a union is up to our students. However, you are free, as faculty members, to express your opinions about the unionization of research assistants. I encourage you to engage students in educational discussions about the issues associated with their choice. The university administration is committed to encouraging full and open discussion and to sharing timely and accurate information.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Biddy Martin
Chancellor