Summary

Creator:

Duke Graduate Students Union

Abstract:

The Duke Graduate Students Union is a student organization partnered with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to create a labor union representing graduate student workers at Duke University. Records cover the campaign to form a collective bargaining union as well as subsequent efforts to organize as a direct-action, direct-join union.

Extent:

2 Gigabytes
.1 Linear Feet

Language:

Materials in English.

Collection ID:

UA.31.10.0005

University Archives Record Group:

31 -- Student/Campus Life
10 -- Student Organizations - Professional and Occupational

Background

Scope and Content:

The Duke Graduate Students Union records span 2013-2018, with the bulk of the material from 2016-2017. Records include correspondence with University administration, the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC), DGSU membership, and University listserves, as well as solidarity letters from other labor entities. Also included are promotional materials such as presentations and advertisements, collected anti-union organizing materials, meeting notes, legal documents filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) related to the petition to unionize, media coverage, and photographs of events held by DGSU during their campaign.

Biographical / Historical:

The Duke Graduate Students Union (DGSU) formed in early 2016, when graduate student workers partnered with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). These two organizations campaigned to form a majority union and petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The election in March 2017 was inconclusive: although the tabulated votes indicated the vote would fail, enough ballots remained contested by SEIU and the University to tip the vote in either direction. SEIU, acting on behalf of DGSU, withdrew the petition to unionize from the NLRB. Since spring 2017, DGSU exists as a direct-action, direct-join union and is active on campus advocating for increased benefits for graduate student workers, as well as organizing alongside other employee labor groups at Duke University.

Acquisition Information:

The Duke Graduate Students Union records were received by the Duke University Archives as a transfer in 2017 and 2018.

Processing information:

Processed by Matthew Farrell and Tracy Jackson, December 2018, January 2019, and October 2021. Accessions described in this collection guide: UA2017-0033 and UA2018-0090, and UA2021-0032.

Rules or Conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Subjects:

Labor movement
Labor unions -- North Carolina
Graduate students -- North Carolina -- Durham
Duke University -- Administration

Names:

Duke University. University Archives