PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Temple University Graduate Students’ Association (TUGSA) has overwhelmingly voted to reject a tentative agreement with the university’s administration that was made Friday, and will continue its strike.
TUGSA said 83% of its members voted about the proposal, and more than 92% of those who voted rejected the agreement.
The union said it offered to return to the bargaining table on Wednesday but will extend its strike until its members reach and accept a new tentative agreement.
“Their vote shows that the terms of the agreement are insufficient to meet the needs of our members and tells the university administration that they need to offer a truly fair contract,” said TUGSA negotiator Laurie Robins.
The union said the contract’s raises were minimal, as the average graduate worker stipend would reach about $22,000 in the first year, and it did not offer health care coverage for dependents.
“Despite the university offering to reinstate benefits that it cut during the strike in this tentative agreement, the terms of this proposed contract still fail to meet our basic needs,” said Temple dance instructor Amanda Whitehead. “These benefits should’ve never been cut in the first place.”
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The university said the tentative agreement made Friday included a wage increase for four years and a one-time payment effective this month, as well as health cost reimbursements and reinstated tuition aid.
In a statement, Temple Chief Operating Officer Ken Kaiser said the university is "disappointed to learn that TUGSA did not ratify the tentative agreement."
"Although the TUGSA leadership left the Friday meeting promising to unanimously recommend the agreement for ratification, the TUGSA membership did not ratify the agreement. Therefore, the parties will return to bargaining soon, and we will continue to negotiate with TUGSA in good faith as we have done to date," he said.
Temple graduate students have been on strike since Jan. 31.