Graduate Students at University of Rochester Set to Strike Today Over Unionization Efforts

More than 1,500 graduate workers at the University of Rochester are launching an indefinite strike today, citing months of delays and what they describe as obstruction by university leadership in response to their efforts to form a union.

Graduate students at the University of Rochester staged a protest on campus January 30, 2025, voicing frustration over the university’s delay in finalizing a union election agreement reached in December.

The strike, which officially begins at 8:00 AM, will be marked by a kickoff rally at 1:00 PM at the intersection of Elmwood and Wilson on the University’s River Campus. The event is expected to draw not only graduate workers but also undergraduate supporters, faculty allies, labor leaders, and city officials.

Graduate workers—who teach classes, grade assignments, conduct research, and help run labs—have been pushing for what they call a fair and democratic process to unionize under SEIU Local 200United. According to organizers, 90% of workers voted to authorize the strike after negotiations with the university stalled.

In a last-minute effort to avoid the walkout, graduate union leaders traveled to Syracuse on Friday to meet with university representatives and a state mediator. However, they say the university refused to meet with them face-to-face, further fueling tensions.

"The administration's refusal to engage with us in good faith left us no choice," said one graduate worker. "We are the backbone of this institution, and we deserve a voice."

Support for the strike has spread rapidly across the campus and beyond. Faculty members have pledged not to cross picket lines, and the university’s Student Association has endorsed the strike, with many undergraduates planning to walk out in solidarity. Several major labor organizations, including the Teamsters and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), have issued statements backing the graduate workers.

The strike is also drawing attention within a broader national context, as graduate students and academic workers across the country mobilize in response to growing threats to research funding, diversity and inclusion efforts, and visa protections for international students.

Organizers say picketing will continue throughout the week, and they are urging media outlets to cover the events and hear directly from workers on the ground.

As of this morning, there has been no official response from the University of Rochester administration regarding whether negotiations will resume.