University of Alaska, Alaska Graduate Workers Association announce tentative 3-year contract agreement

Graduate research has a major impact on Alaska and the University of Alaska, and the work of graduate students will play a key role in UAF’s goal of becoming an R1 research university, said the university.

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The University of Alaska has reached a tentative initial agreement through a three-year contract with the Alaska Graduate Workers Association (AGWA). The Association is a newly formed union of graduate student employees. The initial contract starts on July 1, 2024, and will conclude on December 31, 2026.

“Throughout these negotiations, our goal has been to support graduate students through fair compensation increases while ensuring the contract is financially sustainable. I’m incredibly grateful for the hard work put in over the last several days that allowed us to reach an agreement. We look forward to submitting it for legislative consideration this session,” said University of Alaska President Pat Pitney.

After the agreement is ratified and funded, it will apply to all graduate student workers who meet eligibility criteria at all three of UA’s universities including - the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), and the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS).

“Our bargaining team has worked tirelessly - particularly over the last week - to reach an agreement. I want to sincerely thank and recognize them for their willingness to go the extra mile on behalf of our graduate student employees and the University,” added President Pitney.

Notable monetary terms of agreement

Following are the terms - 100% fee waivers for bargaining unit members, increasing minimum pay for masters students by 14% to $24.50/hour, and 17% to $29.00 for Ph.D. students. The increases put UA’s compensation for graduate and Ph.D. students in the top ⅓ of peers, Time Off - 3 weeks of unpaid family leave and up to 20 hours (4-day equivalent) of scheduled leave per semester, extended facilities access at UAF, modified grievance procedures, continued health insurance coverage and bargaining unit input in future changes. The university currently pays 100% of graduate student employee health insurance premiums, and the cost for the exact same coverage jumped $400,000 for Academic Year 2025, which the University is covering and not passing on to graduate students.

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