A photo mosaic of many Stanford workers, joining together to form a union.

We are under contract! Time for union building

The members of Stanford Graduate Workers Union voted to ratify the November 12, 2024 tentative agreement with Stanford as their first contract. If your contract rights have been violated or you have been denied funding, fill out our interim issue reporting form.

SGWU now seeks to build off the incredible momentum of our contract campaign to build a strong and effective union that can enforce our contract and improve the lives of graduate workers at Stanford for generations to come.

Become a member

Are you new to SGWU? Become a member by signing a digital membership card on our website! If you believe you are eligible, but our system says you aren’t, please email or reach out to us to become a union member.

Please refer to our General FAQs and our Membership and Dues FAQ with any questions you may have. Once you are a member, you can join our Slack Workspace and attend our General Membership Meetings, held monthly.

We need you to build a stronger union

Become a union steward! Effective unions are built off having a broad array of stewards across campus to help identify issues and provide local expertise as we support graduate workers. Our stewards are our first line of defense to enforce our contract and protect graduate workers from contract violations. Steward trainings are announced on a regular basis at sgwu.us/s/steward-training.

Are you interested in organizing and leading our union? SGWU has three standing committees that help run our day-to-day operations: Membership Building, Data + Tech, and Communications. Fill out the standing committee interest form and a union organizer will reach out to you!

As always, you can reach us at contact@sgwu.us any time!

Protecting graduate workers

If you, a coworker, or a friend have encountered a violation of the contract, have been denied the rights enshrined in the contract, or are denied funding, please reach out through our interim issue reporting form.

Read about common violations and important rights at our contract landing page.

SGWU Stands with Our International Scholars

On April 5, 2025 our Local Executive Board released a statement addressing unconfirmed reports that ICE was present on Stanford’s campus April 4, 2025 and news that four Stanford University students and two recent graduates have had their student visas revoked by federal authorities. SGWU condemns these attacks on our international community and calls for sustained mass mobilization to support those threatened by ICE.

SGWU-UE Statement on Recent Executive Orders

Our Interim Grievance Committee released a statement reiterating our contract’s protections and our commitment to advocate for all our members’ rights, freedoms, and well-being. SGWU stands with students and workers on campus who are affected by the Trump administration’s executive orders and calls on Stanford to protect graduate workers and the community at large.