Vote

To the Guarini School Community:
 
On April 11 and April 12 there will be a vote to determine whether Dartmouth graduate students will form a union to serve as the exclusive representative for all employment-related negotiations. (Time and locations of the vote can be found here.) The outcome will be decided by a simple majority of eligible voters who vote. It's important that you educate yourself on what's at stake and participate in the democratic process. Please check out the FAQ on the provost's website. 
 
Dartmouth will continue to care deeply for its graduate students and do everything it can to promote their success. As administrators and faculty, we take pride in our ability to enhance graduate  student academic achievement and personal growth through Dartmouth Fellowships; the continuous support guaranteed by the Transitional Support Policy, which allows students to change advisors without interruption of their stipends; and the guarantee by the Guarini School of five years of stipend support. These fellowships are a fundamental part of Dartmouth's commitment to the students' education and professional development. 
 
As a reminder, here's why we're having an election. Graduate students in the Graduate Organized Laborers at Dartmouth (GOLD) organization voted in July 2022 to become affiliated with the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and initiated a campaign that will culminate in the vote on April 11th and 12th. 
 
Dartmouth remains committed to the agreement with GOLD-UE that "[a]ll graduate students enrolled in Dartmouth College degree programs who are employed to provide teaching and research services" are employees eligible for representation if GOLD-UE prevails in the election.  
 
We are, however, submitting a revised voter list to the NLRB and GOLD-UE based on a recent decision by the NLRB Regional Director concerning criteria at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for who is or isn't an "employee". We have determined that certain graduate students at Dartmouth hold comparable positions to those at MIT who have been excluded from the unit. (Please see the FAQ for more specifics on the MIT decision and how it relates to Dartmouth.)
 
Dartmouth remains dedicated to respecting students' rights to unionize, negotiating in good faith with the union if students select it as their representative, and, above all, promoting graduate student academic advancement and personal well-being.  
 
Best, 
 
David F. Kotz
Provost