BOSTON (AP) — Graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology want to unionize.
The Boston Globe reports that a majority of the graduate students signed cards supporting unionizing and asked the administration to voluntarily recognize the union.
University spokesperson Kimberly Allan said the administration plans to carefully consider the request.
If the university does not voluntarily recognize the union by Dec. 26, the students plan to enter a formal election process with the National Labor Relations Board.
The union would represent more than 5,000 graduate students who work as teaching and research assistants. One of its priorities would be affordable housing, since students say that more than half of their monthly stipends go toward rent.
The students said they were motivated by successful unionizing efforts at other Boston schools.
