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The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

The Daily Free Press

The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University.

The Daily Free Press

The Daily Free Press

Boston University Graduate Workers Union marches outside Warren Towers in a walk-out on Sept. 5. Today, BUGWU ratified its first union contract, ending its almost seven-month long strike. KATE KOTLYAR/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

BREAKING: BUGWU ends strike after seven months, ratifies first contract with University

Kayla Baltazar October 16, 2024
The Boston University Graduate Workers Union ratified its first contract with the University today, ending a nearly seven-month-long strike.
Members of the Boston University Residential Life Union gather behind an empty table representing the delay in contract negotiations for better working conditions at a rally on January 18. The ResLife Union voted to begin a four-day strike Friday at noon to demand better working conditions, including stipends and training for life-saving care. MOLLY POTTER/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

BU ResLife Union to start four-day strike over Boston Marathon weekend

Lauren Albano April 12, 2024
The Boston University Residential Life Union will strike for four days starting Friday at noon.
Nana Boateng, a third-year law student and research assistant at BU School of Law. The Boston University Graduate Workers Union enters its third week of striking for higher wages and increased benefits. MOLLY POTTER/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

BU graduate workers reflect on living conditions, union demands as strike carries on

Truman Dickerson April 10, 2024
BU’s current policies impose a mental burden for graduate student workers, who are approaching their third week of striking for higher wages, better benefits and university acknowledgement.
A protester with a sign supporting the Boston University Graduate Workers strike at a rally on March 25. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Stan Sclaroff emailed faculty recommending the use of artificial intelligence to assist with classes while graduate teaching assistants are on strike. BRENDA GONZALEZ/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

BU community reacts to CAS dean suggestion to replace striking graduate teaching assistants with AI tools

Samantha Genzer April 5, 2024
As a result of the BUGWU strike, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences suggested the use of generative AI tools to replace striking graduate students in an email sent to colleague's this week. Students, professors and graduate workers express discontent with the idea.
A member of the graduate student workers union holds a sign protesting wages at a rally in November. Teaching assistants are considering joining other BU-employed groups in striking, following unsatisfactory contract negotiations with the school. CORINNE DAVIDSON/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

BUGWU deliberates over strike authorization, begins voting process

Abigail Hassan March 6, 2024
Following recent contract negotiations with Boston University, The Graduate Workers Union is considering going on strike.
Senate Chair Hanna Dworkin, a senior in College of Arts and Science, runs the Boston University Student Government meeting on Monday. StuGov listened to BU graduate student workers’ presentation on bargaining sessions. MOLLY POTTER/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

StuGov addresses BU Graduate Workers Union concerns

Camille Bugayong January 31, 2024
Boston University Student Government discussed elections and listened to a presentation regarding the difficulties experiences by BU graduate student workers.
Graduate students, RAs and adjunct faculty members march down Commonwealth Avenue during a three-union rally.

GALLERY: Three-union rally marches down Commonwealth Ave

Daily Free Press Staff October 25, 2023
Resident life workers, graduate student workers and adjunct faculty held a joint union rally on Oct. 20 following recently ratified bargaining demands.
Members of the Boston University graduate, residence life and adjunct faculty unions march down Commonwealth Avenue on Friday. The unions came together in a show of solidarity to express their respective demands. CORINNE DAVIDSON/ DFP PHOTOGRAPHER

Boston University student workers hold three-union rally

Sophia Spiegel October 22, 2023
Three BU unions — BU ResLife Union, BU Graduate Workers Union and BU Part-Time Faculty — rallied at the George Sherman Union on Oct. 20 about their recent ratified bargaining demands and marched to 1 Silber Way to deliver their demands to University administrators.
RA rally

Residential Life student workers unionize, hold rally for better working conditions

Yoko Zhu February 9, 2023
Boston University residential life workforce announced their formation of a union at a rally in front of the George Sherman Union on Wednesday afternoon.
BUGWU

BU Graduate Workers Union rejects BU’s voluntary recognition offer

Charlotte Lawrence November 8, 2022
Boston University Graduate Workers Union announced they rejected the University’s proposal of voluntarily recognizing a unit that includes PhD candidates but excludes non-PhD graduate students and “non-service” PhD workers.
Yvonne Tang / DFP Staff

OP-ED: Is BU a profit-driven corporation or an institution of higher education?

Editors November 19, 2021
We can make Boston University an even better school by making sure that educators have what they need to make every student’s learning experience exceptional, and by making sure that educators feel supported, respected and paid equitably.
Seth Blumenthal is one of the Boston University lecturers involved in negotiating a contract with Boston University administration granting higher wages and better job security to lecturers. PHOTO BY CHLOE GRINBERG/ DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

BU reaches agreement with lecturers granting working condition improvements

Camille Fowler October 5, 2017

After over a year of negotiations and threats of a lecturers’ strike, the Boston University administration reached their first-ever agreement with about 250 members of SEIU Local 509 on Friday. Katherine...

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