Information about Graduate Assistant Unionization
Graduate Assistants at GW
Graduate assistants are an important part of our GW community, advancing knowledge, providing leadership, and contributing significantly to our growing reputation as a research institution. We embrace our mission to train the next generation of scholars, ensuring our graduate assistants develop the skills they will need as academics and professionals through our training courses and programs, and that they are supported through our policies.
Eligible graduate teaching, instructional, and research assistants (collectively, "graduate assistants") had an opportunity to participate in an election facilitated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over two days in November 2024. A majority of graduate assistants who voted in the election chose to affiliate with Service Employees International Union, Local 500.
Updates about unionization are available below.
Messages
November 14, 2024: Graduate Assistants Union Representation Election
October 28, 2024: Message on NLRB Election for Graduate Assistants
Updates
November 14, 2024: The results of the graduate assistants union election on November 12 and 13 were tallied. The majority of the votes were in favor of forming a union.
October 28, 2024: Message on NLRB Election for Graduate Assistants and NLRB Notice of Election distributed to GW graduate assistants.
October 10, 2024: NLRB Notice of Petition for Election distributed to GW graduate students.
October 7, 2024: Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 500 filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to represent GW graduate students.
The university will continue to provide updates on this website as appropriate. Members of the university community can also submit questions to the Office of Graduate Affairs at [email protected].