Yale Graduate Students’ ‘Microunit’ Unionization Strategy Could Have Nationwide Implications
A quarter-century-long fight for a graduate-assistant union at Yale University has taken a new twist that could make it easier for unions to gain a foothold on campuses. Unite Here Local 33 has filed petitions for union elections in nine academic departments, focusing on those where union support is strong. The formation of graduate unions in departmental "microunits" is a test case for higher education, several labor-law experts said. Yale opposes the strategy and has asked a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board in Hartford, Conn., to rule whether it is legal.