Northwestern Grad Workers Prep Contract Talks

The Northwestern Graduate Workers Union is preparing to negotiate a new contract as its current agreement nears expiration in March 2027.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Unions

Wide view of a weathered limestone and brick academic building on a quiet campus plaza, bare elm trees at the edges, under flat overcast light. — The Northwestern Graduate Workers Union began preparing Thursday for contract talks with the university, as its current agreement expires in March 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Northwestern Graduate Workers Union has begun preparations for negotiations on a new contract with the University. The union is also discussing how it would handle a potential strike.

Why it matters

The current contract expires in March 2027, and the union's first contract fight ended in March 2024 without a strike. Graduate worker unions nationally are navigating a more hostile anti-union environment, which raises the stakes for the Evanston campus bargaining process.

The first contract fight drew pledges from at least 2,000 workers to strike before the University agreed to a bargain without one in March 2024. The university offered a $500 per-proposal wage increment in early bargaining, and the current contract expires in March 2027.

The players

Northwestern University

A private research university in Evanston, Illinois, whose administration is the counterparty in the graduate workers' contract talks.

United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America

A labor union that represents workers across several industries and is the parent affiliate of the Northwestern Graduate Workers Union.

The details

The union is affiliated with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America and has a bargaining committee that includes division chief stewards, the campus chief steward, president and vice president. The union will elect more members to the committee and will advocate for protections for international workers, research funding security and healthcare accessibility.

2022: The University required the union to go through the National Labor Relations Board to receive recognition.
March 2024: The first contract fight ended without a strike.
2023 and 2024: The University did not organize bargaining sessions.
March 2027: The current contract expires.

Big Picture

Northwestern's bargaining is unfolding alongside hostile contract negotiations at Harvard and MIT, two other universities where graduate worker unions face resistance at the table. Graduate workers nationally are navigating a more difficult environment for organizing and bargaining.

Evanston residents and Northwestern students and staff should watch for bargaining sessions and any strike decision as the March 2027 contract deadline approaches. Graduate workers' positions on healthcare and research funding could affect campus services and academic programs.

The takeaway

Contract timelines at graduate worker unions are often shaped by how quickly a university agrees to sit down at the bargaining table. The Northwestern union's pledge of strike support shows how much leverage workers rely on when talks stall.