Yale challenges grad assistants’ union bid before NLRB

HARTFORD, Conn. – Yale University is challenging a bid by some of its graduate assistants to unionize, in proceedings this week before the National Labor Relations Board.

Yale maintains graduate assistants should not be allowed to organize, arguing they are students and not employees.

The school also contests the graduate assistants’ strategy, in which students in 10 departments with strong pro-union sentiment have petitioned the NLRB separately for elections and to negotiate contracts.

Tamar Gendler is Yale’s dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She said after testifying at the hearing in Hartford that the union’s approach sidelines the majority of graduate students from the discussion.

The hearing began Monday at the labour relation board’s offices in Hartford, and was expected to take five to eight days.