WE KNOW THAT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FACE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES IN GRAD SCHOOL.

MANY GRAD UNION CONTRACTS CREATE SPECIFIC BENEFITS, SUPPORT, PROTECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS.

What have other grad unions won for international grad students?

With the valuable contributions of international student organizers, other grad unions have won: 
•  Stipend increases
•  Guaranteed housing
•  Immigration and visa support
•  Paid and unpaid leaves of absence to travel home
•  Legal resources, including lists and contact info of local attorneys who do pro-bono work
•  Generous international student assistance funds

What are our rights?

Labor law protects all graduate student workers, including international students. International students have the same rights as U.S. citizens to participate in union activity. It is illegal for an employer to threaten an international student’s visa status for joining or supporting a union. As international students at Pitt, we’ll be stronger and safer when we vote to form our grad workers union together.


WHO ARE WE?

  • Kanoko Kamata 鎌田華乃子

    SOCIOLOGY(社会学部)

    As an international student, I can only work at Pitt. My right to stay in the US and my life here are entirely impacted by Pitt’s decisions. At first I was not so comfortable openly supporting our union because I was worried about risks on my immigration status or employment. But unionization is our right. Once we have a union, whenever I have concerns about my employment, I can seek help and support from our union.

    留学生は大抵の場合、ピッツバーグ大学でしか働くことができません。つまり留学生の米国での生活と権利はピッツバーグ大学の意思決定に大きく左右されます。そのため、当初私は労働組合をオープンに支持することを躊躇していました。私のビザや雇用をリスクに晒すことを心配したからです。しかし、組合を作ること、加入することは私たちの権利です。組合を作ることができたら、雇用などについて心配なことがあれば、いつでも組合に頼ることができます。

  • Keyang Zheng

    INFORMATION SCIENCE

    I support our union because we, the graduate workers, need a voice in the university’s decisions about us. We are an integral part of the university. Together, we can support each other and stop the university administrators from making unilateral decisions that impact our lives.

    我支持研究生工会。因为作为学校不可或缺的一部分,研究生工作者需要在影响我们工作生活的学校决策中有发言权。工会可以将我们每个人的声音汇聚起来一同阻止学校管理层单方面做出影响我们生活的决定。

  • Suraj Venkateshwaran Mullurkara

    MECHANICAL ENGINEERING & MATERIALS SCIENCE

    I support the formation of a grad student union to help provide a voice for the typically underrepresented grad students. We deserve a say in the determination of our pay. Joining a union is completely legal and does not affect the immigration status of an international student.

  • Greta Jianjia Cheng

    EPIDEMIOLOGY

    I support the Pitt Grad Workers Union because I believe we are always stronger when we are together. We are valuable researchers and educators who foster diversity and vitality within the Pitt community. It's time for our voices to ring loud, our values to shine bright, and our rights to be unwaveringly defended.

    我支持匹兹堡大学研究生工会,因为我相信我们团结在一起时总是更强大。我们是重要的研究人员和教育者,为匹兹堡社区带来了多样性和活力。是时候让我们的声音响亮、让我们的价值观闪耀、让我们的权利坚定不移地得到维护。

  • Chi-Tsung Chang

    ENGLISH / FILM & MEDIA STUDIES

    I support our graduate worker union because improving and protecting international students' welfare with a union contract is better than university policies that could change at any time.

    我支持我們的研博學生工會。因為比起朝三暮四的學校政策,工會合約更能保護與增強國際生的福利。

  • Tania Lucia Ramirez

    SOCIOLOGY

    Our work makes this university, but we don’t have representation. We will fight together as a union to empower ALL graduate worker voices.

    Nuestro trabajo es lo que hace posible esta universidad. Aún así, no tenemos representación. Vamos a luchar como sindicato para empoderar las voces de les trabajadores de posgrado.

  • Anika Jugović Spajić

    ANTHROPOLOGY

    I support our union because all grads deserve good health, dignity, and autonomy in the workplace.

    Podržavam naš sindikat jer svi postdiplomski studenti zaslužuju dobro zdravlje, dostojanstvo i autonomiju na radnom mestu.

  • Elizaveta Volkovskaia

    SLAVIC LANGUAGES & LITERATURES

    I support our union because, for an international student, it gives me a sense of community and protection. Navigating another country is challenging, which is why we will work together as a union to defend our rights.

    Я поддерживаю наш профсоюз, потому что он даёт мне чувство защищённости и общности мне как иностранной студентке. Жить в другой стране бывает нелегко, и поэтому мы все можем сплотиться благодаря профсоюзу и защитить наши права.

  • Jaehoon Bae 배재훈

    ANTHROPOLOGY 인류학과

    I support our grad union because it creates a space where we as graduate students across various disciplines, regardless of their citizenship status, come together to collectively learn how to revitalize our dignity, safeguard our basic rights, thus empowering us together as academic workers.

    저는 대학원생 노조의 설립을 지지합니다. 왜냐하면 우리는 대학원생 노조를 통해, 시민권 여부와 상관없이 다양한 분과학문에서 공부하는 피츠버그 대학 대학원생들이 모여, 연구/교수 노동자로서 스스로의 존엄과 기본권을 지키며 노동자로서 집합적인 힘을 키울 수 있는 법을 배울 수 있는 유일한 공간이라 믿기 때문입니다. 

  • Zixuan Yang

    ANTHROPOLOGY

    I support our union because all grad workers deserve a say in decisions affecting our lives. Unionization is our right. Health, dignity and security are our basic rights.

    我支持研究生工会,因为我相信,所有研究生工作人员都应当在影响我们工作和生活的决策中拥有发言权。工会是我们的权利。追求健康、尊严感和安全的劳动环境是我们的基本权利。

WANT TO LEARN MORE? WANT TO GET INVOLVED? WANT TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE?

As international students at Pitt, we’ll be stronger when we win our grad workers union. Talk to another international grad about the voting process and upcoming events:

@pittgradunion