Marquette faculty, staff and graduate students chanted “We are UNC-WI! We are Marquette! We will win!” outside Zilber hall April 11 at 1:00 p.m.
Marquette now has a chapter through the United Campus Workers of Wisconsin. The union has the following goals: fair wages, contracts and benefits for graduate students, adjunct and non-tenure faculty on campus.
“We have a clear path to federally protected bargaining right and we are pursuing it,” Grant Gosizk, teaching assistant professor in English and steering-committee member for the union said.
The group started at Zilber Hall to launch the chapter and then moved to the Alumni Memorial Union to pass out flyers and pins to spread awareness about the union.
“I want to be a part of this super important moment of being able to launch and go public with the union. I’m looking forward to this union being able to grow. We’re all working towards the same goal of trying to create a better workplace environment for everyone,” Josh Seidman, a PhD student said.
Daniel Collette, assistant teaching professor said Marquette has created good values as a university, but sometimes those values don’t get reflected on how they treat employees.
“I work here full time and I have to drive Uber’s 10-15 hours a week just to pay the bills. The workers deserve better. The students deserve better, because that’s time I’m not giving them,” Collette said.
Marquette University said in a statement that they’re collaborating with students and faculty to find the best way to support them.
“Key to this process is our commitment to shared governance and living out our Catholic, Jesuit mission in all that we do, with a common goal of providing a transformational education for every Marquette student,” Marquette University said in a statement.
Gosizk believes graduate students are essential to the university with their involvement in not only teaching, but advancing the university, and their healthcare and pay should reflect that.
“They’re the ones teaching our undergraduate students on campus and they’re the ones often times guiding cutting edge research,” Gosizk said.
Collette said he hopes this visibility on campus will allow for more conversation especially regarding the $31 million budget cuts.
“The budget cuts over the next six years will irrevocably change our workplace. Programs stand to be sunset, people will lose their jobs, and the student experience at MU will be dramatically different,” Gosizk said.
Marquette University said they’re engaging with the campus to evaluate how to reduce spending and invest in the priorities of the 2031 strategic plan.
“Marquette University is in a strong financial position, and strong institutions are constantly evaluating and planning for the future. We are choosing to shape our own destiny and proactively prepare for significant demographic changes coming in 2026,” Marquette University said in a statement.
Gosizk said he hopes this announcement of the union is just the start.
“It’s time for the faculty, staff and student workers, who make this university great, to have a voice in the future of our university,” Gosizk said.
This story was written by Sophia Tiedge. She can be reached at [email protected]
