This is an archive of emails sent to sgwu-announce, a mailing list for all grad workers at Stanford.

2025-07-19: GMM at 5pm on 7/23 | Zareen’s to follow | LEB endorses Build, Win, Lead slate

Our next GMM is on 7/23 at 5pm in EVGR C 134 and on Zoom. Social to follow, catered by Zareen’s!


TL;DR

  • Our next GMM is on 7/23 at 5pm in EVGR C 134 and on Zoom. Please RSVP.

  • There will be a social to follow, catered by Zareen’s, on the EVGR B/C lawn.

  • Our top priorities are the UE National Elections, the mail fee and Cardinal Care.

-———

Dear Graduate Workers,

Please RSVP for our next General Membership meeting. We will have a catered social from Zareen’s afterwards on the lawn between EVGR B and C!

When: 5-6pm on Wednesday, July 23

Where: EVGR C 134 / EVGR Theater and Zoom

Agenda:

  • Membership issues (10 min)

    • Mail fee: SGWU has emailed LBRE and the Provost. We have also prepared email templates and flyers for members to send Stanford admin or post around campus. With your action, we can win this through massive public pressure, even if “fees” are not technically in our contract! 600+ of you have signed the petition, let’s keep the momentum going.

    • Cardinal Care: SGWU is meeting with Stanford today. Stay tuned for updates.

  • Grievance wins (10 min)

  • Vote on new stewards and SGWU Slack Community Guidelines (5 min)

  • Info on UE National Elections and the Local Executive Board endorsement (5 min)

  • Time with both slates running for UE National Elections (15 min + 5 min questions each)

  • Remaining issues from the membership

Information on UE National Elections: There are two slates running for office in the UE National elections. Both will attend our GMM.

SGWU has 15 delegates who will vote for one slate (i.e. as a bloc) of your choosing. While our Local Executive Board has made an endorsement, members will make the final decision. We will hold this vote online via OpaVote. All SGWU members in good standing are eligible to vote, even if you don’t attend the GMM.

See you at the GMM,

The SGWU Local Executive Board



2025-07-17: SGWU-UE Local Executive Board Endorsement Statement for Build Win Lead Slate

Read our local board's endorsement and get ready to vote! SGWU is sending grad worker delegates to the UE National elections.


Dear Graduate Workers,

Our national union, United Electrical (UE), is holding its biennial elections for national officers this year at the National Convention in August. These elections will determine the direction of UE for the next two years, with consequences for our local union SGWU-UE, other UE grad locals across the United States, and the US labor movement as a whole. Our local benefits from the organizing expertise developed over decades from successful UE locals nationwide, and national officers help to circulate that expertise throughout UE.

As members of UE, our local union has the opportunity to cast 15 total delegate votes in the election for UE national office. Most locals in UE are much smaller than our local and thus only have 1-5 votes. With a large number of votes in this election, our local has a responsibility to democratically decide the future direction of UE. We encourage all members to engage in this exciting and historic process in our union.

As a reminder, two slates (groupings) of candidates are running for the positions of President, Director of Organization, and General Secretary-Treasurer, respectively:

Based on our interviews and interactions with the slates, the SGWU Local Executive Board (LEB) has voted to unanimously endorse the Build Win Lead slate and is excited to support Scott, Kim, and Andrew. Please read our full endorsement here.

We also believe it is critical to note that Valentina Luketa withdrew her candidacy for UE General President on the Build Win Lead slate, citing her experiences of sexual harassment and a resulting hostile work environment stemming from the conduct of the opposing campaign. The UE General Counsel and Anti-Harassment Coordinator investigated a complaint filed by rank-and-file workers and found that George Waksmunski and Chris Wilson had made comments that “constitute unlawful discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex and created a hostile working environment… within the meaning of applicable anti-discrimination laws and the UE Anti-Harassment Policy.” George and Chris have since agreed to a remedy put forward by the UE General Executive Board and recanted their statements. Our Executive Board is deeply disappointed by this conduct and the discourse that it normalized in this election. We unequivocally denounce all forms of sexual harassment and prejudice, which have no place in discussions that should be grounded in merit and experience.

We look forward to the GMM next Wednesday, July 23 at 5 PM in EVGR C 154 , during which members can hear from both slates and candidates (who will be in attendance on Zoom). A vote via OpaVote will be held afterwards open to all members in good standing.

In Solidarity,

Your Local Executive Board



2025-07-15: July 23 GMM 5PM, Free Dinner, Party 630PM

Next General Membership Meeting (GMM) is Wednesday, 7/23 from 5-6PM + party afterward!


TL;DR

  • Next General Membership Meeting (GMM) on Wednesday, 7/23 from 5-6PM (free food!) EVGR C 134 and on Zoom. Please RSVP

  • We will have a post-GMM party with food, drink and good summer vibes! EVGR B/C lawn, 6:30pm July 23

  • Our top priorities for this GMM are the UE National Elections in August, and addressing issues from our membership (submit yours here)

Dear Graduate Workers,

Our next General Membership Meeting (GMM) will be Wednesday, July 23 from 5-6pm PDT in the EVGR Theater (EVGR C 134) and on Zoom. Please RSVP for free dinner + Zoom link.

We will also have a party after the GMM. Come by to enjoy free food and drink, meet your coworkers, and pick up a free SGWU T-shirt or some anti-mail-fee flyers. We’ll be on the lawn between EVGR B and C!

Remember that to attend the GMM you must be a member in good standing; please see the FAQ here if you have any questions.

GMM Agenda:

  • Information on UE National Elections, how SGWU will participate, and our Local Executive Board’s recommendation.
  • Vote on proposed Community Guidelines for the SGWU Slack.
  • Recap: SGWU’s new obligations and benefits as part of the local Labor Councils.
  • Call for delegates to represent SGWU at labor council meetings.
  • Other concerns from our members - submit yours at sgwu.us/s/gmm-issues

UE National Elections – Timeline

There are two slates running for office in the UE National elections. Every local union sends a certain number of delegates to the national convention this August to cast votes on behalf of their local unions. SGWU will have 15 delegates who will vote as a bloc (all delegates will cast their votes for one slate; they will not be split).

SGWU members will determine which slate our delegates vote for.

Before the GMM our Local Executive Board will release a recommendation on which slate they support. However, members will make the final decision.

Because many of our members are away for the summer, we will have an online vote after the GMM via OpaVote. All SGWU members in good standing are eligible to vote. If you miss the GMM, you can still vote – you’ll get all the information by email. However, we encourage you to attend for live discussion with both slates’ candidates (and free food!)

See you at the GMM,

The SGWU Local Executive Board



2025-07-09: Union Social Today!

Free food and drinks today, 6pm!


Hey Grad Workers!

Reminder that there will be a union social today! There will be food, drinks, and union merch! Come to between EVGR B and C today Wednesday July 9th at 6pm for some good union vibes.

Yours in Solidarity,

The Membership Building Committee



2025-07-09: July 23 Hot Labor Summer GMM + UE National Elections

Next GMM on Wednesday, 7/23 from 5-6PM; free food + learn about the UE National elections in August.


TL;DR

  • Next GMM on Wednesday, 7/23 from 5-6PM (free food!) Please RSVP

  • UE National elections are coming up. Learn about the candidates at the GMM! We will have an online vote after the GMM to determine which candidates our delegates will support.

-——

Dear Graduate Workers,

Our next General Membership Meeting (GMM) will be Wednesday, July 23 from 5-6pm PDT. Please RSVP (sgwu.us/s/gmm) for free dinner + Zoom link.

At our last General Membership Meeting, SGWU members voted to join the San Mateo and South Bay Labor Councils. In case you missed it, here’s an overview of what the two councils do! We also hold space at the GMM for members to have open discussions and get involved in tackling the issues they’re concerned about on campus. We want to hear from you!

GMM Agenda:

  • UE National elections are coming up! Learn about the candidates and process of electing our national union’s leadership. After the GMM, we will have an online vote to determine which candidates SGWU’s delegates will vote for at the UE National Convention in August. All union members will receive online ballots in this vote!

  • Vote on proposed Community Guidelines for the SGWU Slack.

  • Recap: SGWU’s new obligations and benefits as part of the local Labor Councils.

  • Call for delegates to represent SGWU at labor council meetings.

  • Other business: concerns from the membership

We’ll be sharing a lot more information about the UE National Elections over the next few weeks. These are turbulent times and we want everyone to be involved in the process of selecting our national leadership.

See you at the GMM!

The SGWU Local Executive Board



2025-07-08: Union Social Tomorrow!

Free pizza and drinks tomorrow, 6pm!


Hey Grad Workers!

There will be another union social tomorrow! There will be pizza, drinks, and union merch! Come to between EVGR B and C tomorrow Wednesday July 9th at 6pm for some good union vibes.

Yours in Solidarity,

The Membership Building Committee



2025-07-07: June Newsletter | GMM recap, financial resources,

Our first monthly newsletter! Juneteenth GMM recap, Caltrain Go Passes, changes to Cardinal Care and more.


JUNE 2025 AT A GLANCE

STANFORD GRADUATE WORKERS UNION • Jun 30, 2025

Black line.

SGWU Monthly Newsletter

This month, we held our Juneteenth GMM, supported our graduate workers during finals week with coffee and pastries, educated our coworkers about contract benefits (free Caltrain GoPass and appointment notifications), and swore in new union stewards. Many SGWU members also attended No Kings Day protests across the nation.

SGWU Monthly Newsletter

📢 Announcements

🔴 Cardinal Care is changing

🟡 Dues for fellows

🟣 July 23 GMM and UE National Elections

🧑‍⚖️ General Membership Meeting Recap

☑️ Passed by members

👥 New stewards

🙋 Raise an issue

📜 Know Your Contract Benefits

✍️ Summer appointments

💡 Free CalTrain GoPass

🔆 Member Spotlight

💸 Financial Resources

🏡 Standing Committee Updates

🫱🏾‍🫲🏼 Membership Building

🖥️ Data + Tech

🎥 Communications

📅 Mark your calendar!

👊 About us

Local Executive Board

Standing Committees

Get in touch

📢 Announcements

🔴 Cardinal Care is changing

SGWU has summarized changes and plans to meet with Stanford administrators. Please submit your questions! Under our contract, graduate students with at least a 25% TA/RA appointment (or equivalent fellowship) will continue to receive a full subsidy for Cardinal Care.

🟡 Dues for fellows

Fellows need to manually pay dues in order to be members in good standing. You can pay them through our website at Voluntary Dues for Fellows (redirects to Zeffy link)

🟣 July 23 GMM and UE National Elections

Our next General Membership Meeting will be held on July 23, 2025. We encourage you to attend as we will vote on the top three national United Electric officers. They will shape UE’s labor organizing strategy and support local unions across the nation over the next two years.

🧑‍⚖️ General Membership Meeting Recap

Our most recent General Membership Meeting (GMM) was held on June 19, 2025, with a Juneteenth celebration afterwards.

☑️ Passed by members

We elected to affiliate with the South Bay Labor Council and San Mateo Labor Council.

MORE DETAILS:
🔗 Labor Council FAQs

👥 New stewards

Please welcome our new stewards, Fletcher Chapin [Doerr], Daly Wettermark [Doerr].
If you’re interested in becoming a union steward and helping to enforce our contract, please attend a steward training.

MORE DETAILS:
🔗 Stewards Training RSVP

🙋 Raise an issue

At GMM, we discussed changes to Cardinal Care, contract misinformation in the Graduate School of Education and car theft in graduate housing.
All rank-and-file members are welcome to raise discussion topics for GMMs!

MORE DETAILS:
🔗 Submit Issues Here

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📜 Know Your Contract Benefits

✍️ Summer appointments

  • If you are working this summer, you should get an Appointment letter by June 16th. If appointments are not finished by that date, you can still be given an appointment at a later date.
  • Summer Appointments above 50% (up to 90%) are still explicitly allowed in the contract
  • Hourly work is still explicitly allowed in the union contract

💡 Free CalTrain GoPass

  • Moving off campus this summer? Update your address in Axess and then sign up for your free CalTrain GoPass at sgwu.us/s/go

—|—|—

🔆 Member Spotlight
SGWU members attended No Kings Day Protests across the country White Plaza rally to protect international students and to defend federal research funding

💸 Financial Resources

If you are facing financial hardship, our contract protects your right to get reimbursed for certain types of expenses via university resources.

  • Emergency Grant-in-Aid: out-of-pocket medical, mental, vision and dental care costs; bike repairs; computer repairs; legal expenses related to maintaining visa status

  • Graduate Student Aid Fund: spousal Cardinal Care insurance premiums; campus health fee and/or Cardinal Care premiums for students with significant debt burdens or required expenses beyond customary cost of attendance

  • Graduate Family Grant: flexible funds to cover childcare, healthcare and rent for students with dependents

If you’ve been denied for any of the above funding sources, please send us an email at contact@sgwu.us

🏡 Standing Committee Updates

🫱🏾‍🫲🏼 Membership Building

  • Organized two days of tabling with coffee + pastries to support graduate workers during finals week
  • Created contract education materials, including posters for summer appointments and the free Caltrain GoPass
  • Hosted union socials to reach out to less-involved graduate workers, with 30+ attendees

🖥️ Data + Tech

  • Cleaned up Slack workspace, consolidating channels and ensuring only union members and invited guests are present
  • Updated organizer-only and public SGWU calendars
  • Updated SGWU website content
  • Updated internal infrastructure

🎥 Communications

  • Communicated important union updates via internal (listserv, Slack) channels
  • Publicized events organized by our local and our solidarity network
  • Summarized changes to Cardinal Care and fielded questions from graduate workers

—|—|—

📅 Mark your calendar!

Upcoming events, training sessions, workshops, GMMs… you name it

Event

Time

Location

Contact

Membership Building Committee Thursdays6–7pm Room 365, Green Earth Sciences or on Zoom organizing@sgwu.us
Data + Tech Committee TBD TBD recording@sgwu.us
Union Social Every other Wednesday5–6pm Between EVGR B and C organizing@sgwu.us
General Membership Meeting (GMM) July 23, 2025 TBD leb@sgwu.us

👊 About us

Stanford Graduate Workers Union (United Electric Local 1043) represents graduate workers’ interests as university employees and negotiates collectively over employment conditions like pay, benefits, health and safety, and protections against harassment and discrimination. We believe that graduate workers at Stanford power the research and teaching integral to the University’s operations, reputation, and mission, and we deserve to have fair compensation and working conditions.

Local Executive Board

Our elected officers and Area Chief Stewards carry out decisions made by the membership in between General Membership Meetings, handle grievances, keep our union running, and respond to urgent situations. The local executive board is elected annually for a one-year term.

Standing Committees

Our three Standing Committees (Membership Building, Communications, Data and Technology) help run the day-to-day operations of our union. These Committees meet weekly and are open to all rank-and-file members.

Get in touch

We welcome questions, comments and feedback through our emails, website, or social media.

sgwu.us
contact@sgwu.us
@stanfordgwu.ue
@StanfordGWU
[sgwu-announce

@lists.stanford.edu](https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/sgwu-announce)

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