The current contract we’ve agreed to with NMSU is a step in the right direction, but it is NOT sufficient to meet the needs of NMSU graduate students. The fight continues for the Administration to see reason.
DEFINITIONS:
- Bargaining Unit: The Bargaining Unit includes all graduate students holding assistantships at the NMSU main campus and branch campuses.
- Bargaining Unit Member / Employee: A Bargaining Unit Member is anyone covered by this contract (all Graduate Assistants, Teaching Assistants, and Research Assistants).
- Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or Union Contract: An agreement between a union and the employer, different from an assistantship contract which is between the individual and the University.
- “Just cause”: A legal standard that requires employers to provide notice, reasonable rules, a fair investigation, proof, and equal treatment when issuing any discipline.
- Reopener: A re-negotiation on a select number of articles of the contract. This contract includes a reopener on tuition in Spring 2023 and on compensation/wages in Fall 2023.
- Ratification: Finalization of a contract that is approved by both sides of a negotiation.
- FTE / Full Time Equivalent: Refers to the hours you are paid to work. If you are employed full time, then you are working at 1 FTE = 40 hours/week. Most assistantships are 0.5 FTE = 20 hours per week, and the remaining 20 hours are for your student responsibilities.