The Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition held a rally Friday at Sample Gates after the IU Board of Trustees did not respond to the coalition’s Nov. 1 letter of demands. The letter demands union recognition, the termination of IU President Pamela Whitten and the removal of the university’s expressive activity policy.
Over 100 attendees gathered around the gates in the 27-degree weather holding signs saying, “Pam Bye!” and “Our Campus, Not Whitten’s.” Many sported black “I.G.W.C.” beanies.
One protester stood near Indiana Avenue and encouraged drivers of cars passing by to honk their horns in support. Cars, Bloomington Transit buses and IU campus buses blared and beeped consistently during the rally’s hour duration.
Union graduate workers and faculty members spoke during the rally about their desire to see Whitten removed and union recognition.
One speaker, Ashish Nambiar, a graduate worker in the biology department spoke about how the graduate workers at IU need to end their “complacency” and speak out about IU’s failure to live up to their expectations.
“The grad workers keep going on strike because we just want a living wage,” Nambiar said.
Nambiar also said he thinks IU treats graduate workers as if they don’t have families, kids or lives outside of being a graduate worker. He said they need a living wage “to live.”
Graduate worker Bryce Greene, who is also an organizer of the pro-Palestinian encampment in Dunn Meadow in April, spoke at the rally and led a chant.
“Grad workers united will never be defeated,” he said.
Daniel Segal, a member of the coordinating committee for Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana gave a speech at the rally. Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana is a state chapter of the world’s largest anti-Zionist Jewish organization campaigning in support of Palestine. He made references to actions taken by Whitten and the IU administration regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Segal mentioned the suspension of IU professor Abdulkader Sinno, faculty adviser for the Palestine Solidarity Committee, and the cancellation of Palestinian artist, Samia Halaby’s exhibit.
“Oppression is plural,” Segal said. “Oppression takes many forms, but justice is seamless.”
He also condemned the salaries of Whitten and other IU administrators.
“Every billionaire is a policy mistake,” Segal said. “Every college president earning $900,000 is a policy mistake.”
The coalition has been organizing for better pay and union recognition since 2019. They’ve held two strikes since, most recently last April where they picketed around Ballantine Hall for three days. In Spring 2022 they held a month-long strike which resulted in wage increases.
“All that we know is that they received our letter that we delivered in November,” David Garner, IGWC press officer and doctoral student, said. “But generally, there has been no communication from the admin with the union.”
Garner said the unity between graduate workers at the rally was “exhilarating” and the issues they are fighting for are important to and affect many student groups and faculty at IU. He noted that even some Bloomington high school students have attended protests against IU's expressive activity policy and against Whitten.
According to Garner, the MIT Living Wage Calculator determined the cost of living in Bloomington is $41,441 per year. Most graduate workers have 10-month contracts, making their cost of living for 10 months $34,534. Currently, they are making $23,000 per year, which is a $11,534 difference, Garner said. He pointed to this disparity as a factor pushing workers out.
“There are people that have to choose between groceries and medicine,” Garner said. “It's just really amazing the precarity that graduate workers live in.”
Garner says the union will democratically vote on further actions including sit-ins, teach-ins, rallies and another potential strike.
Editor’s note: Bryce Greene is a former opinion columnist for the IDS.
