But a recent ruling by the National Labor Relations Board now requires private universities to bargain with graduate-employee labor unions over compensation and working conditions. Columbia University’s graduate assistants are likely to be first to the negotiating table, because the ruling was in response to their petition. Undeterred, graduate assistants continued to organize, usually through the United Automobile Workers, which had successfully organized graduate-assistant unions at many public universities. relented in late 2013 and became — for the second time — the only private university to negotiate a contract with graduate assistants. Will the private universities keep fighting despite the labor board ruling?

Source: New York Times September 12, 2016 07:18 UTC