Members from Graduate Student Employees Union chapters across the state assembled in Albany on Wednesday for a rally and petition drop as part of their continued push for a contract and living wage. Renée Szematowicz, the chief steward of the Binghamton University GSEU chapter, said the rally drew around 30 to 40 people from across New York.

Held at the Capitol building on the “Million Dollar Staircase,” the afternoon rally saw appearances by state legislators who Szematowicz, a third-year Ph.D. candidate studying history, called “allies to graduate student issues.” Their speeches were followed by words from individuals of GSEU chapters who gave personal accounts.

After around an hour, they walked to the governor’s office in the Capitol to deliver their petition — the same one they attempted to deliver to University President Harvey Stenger’s office at a rally on Feb. 5. A representative from the governor’s office did collect the petition, Szematowicz said.

Though SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. is a key figure in the bargaining process, she added that Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to force change.

“This isn’t something you can just sweep under the rug. The people who are doing the majority of the educational, instructional labor on the SUNY campuses throughout the state are predominantly living under the poverty line,” Szematowicz said in an interview with Pipe Dream.

“And it’s a choice for the SUNY system to rely on impoverished workers to make it run — that is a policy choice — and we are here to say: ‘Hey, you have the power to make this not happen,’” she added. “This is cruel, it is unnecessary and it is in the benefit of SUNY as an institution to adequately compensate and provide beneficial working conditions for its employees.”

Though graduate student employees have been out of a contract since July 2023 amid bargaining sessions, a precedent set by the state’s Taylor Law enforced by the Public Employment Relations Board dictates that contracts are enforced after they expire.

A representative from SUNY wrote in a statement: “SUNY is actively at the table with the State and our GSEU/CWA students to negotiate a new contract. While these ongoing discussions take place, we will not comment further.”

After students proposed a raise in their compensation package two sessions ago, Szematowicz said that Michael Volforte, the director of New York’s Office of Employee Relations, blamed graduate students at the most recent bargaining session for being unable to live on their current wages. The Office of Employee Relations did not respond to a request for comment.

“We are at a standstill in bargaining, we are finally talking about economics packages and the really material issues facing us as graduate student employees, yet the representatives of the state do not seem particularly inclined to take our issues seriously and take our concerns seriously,” Szematowicz said.

Amid rising costs of living in New York, Szematowicz said that graduate students are unable to productively conduct their research and teaching responsibilities if reliant on food stamps or other “minimal public safety nets.” The contract between graduate workers and the state says the minimum annual stipend for the 2022-23 academic year “for employees on full assistantships who are currently employed at University Center campuses” is $10,779. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has estimated that the living wage in Broome County is around $40,000.

Workers are also fighting to pass two companion bills through the State Legislature to begin phasing out and eventually eliminate mandatory fees for graduate workers. Over time, there have been state-allocated funds to help minimize these fees but its allocation is decided by individual SUNY campuses, Szematowicz said.

At BU, Stenger used the funds to cover doctoral students working full-time as teaching or graduate assistants.

“[BU] is committed to helping our Ph.D. students progress to their degree,” Stenger wrote in an open letter in January 2022. “Each year, the University awards around 150 Ph.D.s; it is in all our interests to see that number increase and to reduce the amount of time it takes for students to achieve their terminal degree. Clearly, increased financial support can play an important part in helping us achieve this goal.”

A press release disseminated after the rally listed several core demands from the petition, including the establishment of health and safety protections, like personal protective equipment provided by the employer and “relocation from unsafe work environments.” It also calls for protection against discrimination, calling for bans on nondisclosure agreements that “silence victims of sexual harassment” and creating a grievance process for those experiencing bullying, harassment and sexual violence.

“The SUNY ‘Internal Grievance Discrimination Procedure’ for review of allegations of discrimination under this Article shall continue to be available to employees in the State University Graduate Student Negotiating Unit,” the current contract reads.

“Employees availing themselves of this SUNY grievance procedure for review of allegations of discrimination may, at the employee’s request, elect to be represented by GSEU,” it continues. “Use of that procedure shall not deny an employee access to State and Federal procedures which exist for the purpose of reviewing alleged illegal discrimination in employment.”

Affordable housing is another priority included in the petition to ensure that graduate student workers have affordable places to live and can receive financial assistance if they must relocate. The petition also advocates for clear employment documentation, like “uniform appointment letters” that provide information about tuition, scholarships and financial responsibilities, and access to faculty and staff parking without additional costs.

“As a former BU graduate teaching assistant, I know firsthand the challenges that come from trying to make ends meet while striving for academic excellence,” Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84 wrote to Pipe Dream. “If GSEU had been around years ago, I would definitely have been involved in their efforts to advocate for a living wage and contract. These are challenging times for everyone, made worse by looming federal cuts that will impact every aspect of our lives, including university life. We need to find a way to help everyone get through this.”