New Mexico State University graduate workers with the Graduate Workers United union delivered an intent to bargain to NMSU administration with hopes to receive higher wages.
The graduate workers met at Corbett center and then walked to the administration offices at Hadley Hall. Once at the building, the graduate workers continued to chant and held a brief rally that showcased their demands.
After this, the group handed the intent to bargain over to NMSU administration inside the building with hopes of negotiating higher wages for the workers.
Union president Caedmon Ragland said that the graduate workers' max salary of $29,000 a year is unfair for the amount of work that they do.
“The reason why we are opening up bargaining on compensation is because we know it is not enough. A living wage here in Las Cruces is $42,000. This is sourced from the MIT living wage calculator. Even if we cannot make it to that point, we know that we need more to live and thrive in Las Cruces,” Ragland said.
This is not the first time that the union has opened up bargaining with the school. In 2024, graduate workers handed in another intent to bargain hoping to gain a pay raise and tuition coverage among other demands.
Earlier this year, NMSU signed a memorandum of understanding with the union that gave the graduate workers full tuition coverage.
Ragland says that while some progress has been made in terms of compensation, a bigger bump is needed to match their important role in the university system.
“I teach pre-calculus this semester and I have taught college algebra in past semesters, these are all courses that are fundamental to an undergraduate education here at NMSU. That's not just something I do. It is very common among graduate students to teach those lower level courses that are foundational for the education that undergraduates receive here,” Ragland said.
Alyssa Mineau was among the graduate workers that helped hand in the letter and she says that even past victories could use some improvements as well.
“We recently got tuition covered but it is still operating on a reimbursement system rather than a waiver system which is what a lot of other universities do. Even with that, you are still asking for student to front a lot of money to pay and then maybe get reimbursed maybe part way through the semester maybe near the end of the semester so in essence it functions almost like an interest free loan that you have to give to the university in order to work and go to school,” Mineau said.
While no hard dollar amount was given for what the graduate workers hope to receive, many say that they just want improvement.
NMSU was unable to provide a comment before publication.
