WHO WE ARE
Graduate Labor Organization (GLO) is the union of graduate student employees at Brown University. Our Union was built upon the foundational work of Stand Up for Graduate Students (SUGS), which formed in 2014 and fought for rights and protections at Brown University. As researchers, teachers, and mentors at Brown, graduate workers are vital to the everyday working of the university. Through collective bargaining and collective action, we advocate for the needs of a diverse student body, fight against discrimination in all its forms, and nurture a caring community that supports the personal and professional lives of all student workers.
Our Constitution
GLO’s Constitution outlines our Union’s governance and procedures. Details include elected positions and procedures for essential Union activities.
Our History
In 2014, SUGS began in response to a crisis in availability of sixth year funding for PhD student workers. The founders included Majida Kargbo (‘18 PhD, American Studies), Sara Matthisen (PhD, History), Anne Gray Fischer (‘18 PhD, History), Amy Chin (Sociology), and Sarah Brown (American Studies). SUGS’s early campaigns fought for sixth year funding, dental care, and better accountability mechanisms for sexual harassment and assault on campus. In 2016, SUGS became Stand Up For Graduate Student Employees (SUGSE) and began organizing towards forming a labor union of graduate workers. As a union, we advocate for graduate worker needs and protections through organizing, collective action, and collective bargaining; and we strive to build an interconnected and caring community that supports our feminist and anti-racist values.