Share

GOLD-UE Bargaining Update

Posted on April 02, 2024 by Daniel Veres

Dear Guarini community,  

I am writing to provide an update on the March 29 bargaining session with GOLD-UE.

During this meeting, we discussed several of the GOLD-UE economic proposals, including compensation, that were submitted to Dartmouth in January. (Bargaining began in August 2023.) 

Contract Length
Dartmouth proposed a four-year contract to enable clarity and stability for students and for our internal budgets and external support for Dartmouth's graduate programs. 

Compensation - Stipend
Dartmouth has responded to GOLD-UE's initial stipend proposal of $55,000 with a counteroffer. This new proposal raises the annual minimum stipend amount from $40,000 to $46,000 in the first year of the contract, a 15% increase. For the subsequent three years, Dartmouth has proposed guaranteed annual increases of 3%. This would result in stipend amounts of $47,380 in year two, $48,801 in year three, and $50,265 in year four.

In total, Dartmouth has proposed a 25.7% increase in stipends over the duration of a four-year contract. It's important to note that over the past decade, Dartmouth had already increased stipend rates 47%. Dartmouth fully covers premiums for health insurance and provides full tuition remission for PhD students. 

Compensation - Hourly Rate
Dartmouth responded to GOLD-UE's hourly rate proposal by raising the hourly rate for graduate students from $16.25, the current student employee minimum wage, to $21.50, an increase of over 30%.

Dartmouth's proposed compensation increases are in line with the stipends and hourly rates paid by other, similar institutions to their graduate students who conduct teaching and research. 

Time Off
Dartmouth revised GOLD-UE's proposals to align with Dartmouth's existing policies as well as state and federal law. These include the following policies.

  • Sick/personal time
  • Time away for medical reasons
  • Child/dependent care leave
  • Bereavement, jury duty, and military leave
  • Holidays
  • Vacation

Benefits 
Dartmouth and GOLD-UE continued their discussions about health insurance. Dartmouth proposed continuing to pay the Dartmouth Student Group Health Plan (DSGHP) premium for GOLD-UE members. For context, Dartmouth does not pay 100% of health insurance premiums for any other employee group. 

Additionally, the discussion encompassed proposals related to dental and vision coverage, life insurance, support funds, and short-term disability.

Moving Forward
Dartmouth remains committed to working with GOLD-UE to reach a mutually beneficial agreement and appreciates the efforts of the GOLD-UE bargaining committee.

Our next bargaining session is scheduled for April 4. I will provide additional updates following that meeting. An overview and FAQs about the graduate union organization at Dartmouth are available on the provost's website. 

Sincerely,

David Kotz
Provost