STEM Researchers Press NYU for Union Process
Seventy STEM graduate researchers have asked NYU President Linda Mills to set a fair procedure for unionization.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Unions
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STEM graduate researchers at New York University urged President Linda Mills to establish a fair process for unionization, requesting a meeting before Nov. 20. The NYU administration said it is reviewing the request and expects to begin conversations about a unionization process this month.
Why it matters
Research assistants in STEM departments are not covered by the Graduate Student Organizing Committee's current contract, ratified in June 2021. The group says collective bargaining would let it negotiate improvements to living and working conditions and its ability to deliver quality research.
Seventy STEM graduate researchers signed the petition after six months of organizing across every STEM department, compared with the roughly 200 researchers who signed NYU Researchers United's 2023 letter seeking union status. Whether NYU will recognize a STEM researcher union has not been decided.
The players
Linda Mills
Linda Mills is the president of New York University, the administrator the STEM researchers asked to set a unionization procedure.
Graduate Student Organizing Committee (GSOC)
The Graduate Student Organizing Committee is the NYU graduate student union whose 2021 contract excluded STEM research assistants and is currently in negotiations.
The details
The petition asks NYU to defend federal science funding and international scholars' right to work, and seeks a process for graduate researcher unionization. NYU spokesperson Wiley Norvell said the university is reviewing the letter.
Timeline
- June 2021: GSOC contract ratified, excluding STEM research assistants.
- 2023: NYU Researchers United delivered a union letter, which NYU denied.
- October: NYU postdoc union won a majority vote to unionize.
- Nov. 20: Requested deadline for a meeting with President Linda Mills.
- February: GSOC contract extension expires.
Roadmap
This effort follows NYU Researchers United's 2023 push, which NYU declined to recognize on the grounds that 'researcher' was too vague a term. The postdoc union's October win, which now represents 350 researchers, offers a precedent the STEM group is pointing to.
Research assistants in NYU's STEM departments currently lack the contract protections that GSOC members have. A recognized union would give them a formal channel to negotiate pay, working conditions, and the terms under which they conduct research.
The takeaway
Whether NYU recognizes the STEM group will shape how research assistants across the university are represented, and the outcome of this month's talks will be the first clear signal.
What happens next
NYU administration is expected to begin conversations about a fair and democratic unionization process sometime this month.
Further reading
Explore more on Unions coverage across New York City.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Washington Square News.
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