The members of Service Employees International Union Higher Education Workers Local 2007 (SEIU 2007) fully support the Stanford Graduate Workers Union (SGWU) in its fight for fair wages, affordable benefits and protection in the workplace. 

We recently concluded our negotiations for a new contract with Stanford and know intimately how difficult and unreasonable the University can be in any negotiation. Like us, SGWU members are essential workers, and as with us, Stanford does not appear to value the services these essential workers provide, especially in the extremely high-cost Bay Area. The University needs to immediately make rent and food affordable for its entire graduate student population by expanding existing programs and paying these absolutely essential workers a living wage.

We know from hard experience that during negotiations, Stanford refuses to accurately consider financial and medical comparisons with its peer institutions, and that has been particularly true in its bargaining with SGWU. Stanford should be ashamed of the resulting hardships it has created.

We have been shocked to see long lines of graduate students waiting for food at free community food bank events. Stanford stands by and watches its essential workers struggle with food insecurity as it continues to increase graduate student costs of living for health care premiums and rent in campus housing. At an extremely well-endowed university like Stanford, there is absolutely no excuse to refuse essential workers a living wage and affordable benefits. 

It is past time for Stanford to do the right and moral thing for its graduate student employees.

Richard Patrone is a retired worker and lead negotiator for SEIU Local 2007.