We hope you are enjoying the final month of summer! We, your Bargaining Committee, are writing to give you an update after Tuesday’s bargaining session.
During this session, we continued our conversation with administration about healthcare. We wrote our proposal using the feedback you gave us through the survey and through hundreds of conversations. You told us that you just can’t afford your healthcare expenses. We’ve heard countless stories of grads forgoing medical care, unable to pay the out-of-pocket costs for necessary medications, devices, appointments, and tests. We’ve also heard your concerns about dependent premiums and inadequate dental and vision care. While researching for our proposal, we discovered that faculty pay lower co-pays for common medications and services than we do. Brown can offer us coverage that provides the enhanced care and reduced out-of-pocket fees of the faculty plan, but we need to fight for it.
There are many ways to help us win our very first collective bargaining agreement! Please get in touch by writing to standupforgrads@gmail.com or by contacting an organizer you know for more information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates as we head into the fall.
Thank you for being a part of the movement!
In solidarity,
Kaitlyn Quaranta
Bargaining Committee Co-Chair
Graduate Labor Organization 