2026 Bargaining Blog: Session 4

On Friday, July 24, your union met with the FSU Board of Trustees and responded to their counter-offer of a one-time bonus of 1% of GAs' current annualized stipends. We know that our labor as FSU GAs warrants far more than this negligible bonus, so your bargaining team issued a proposal for bonuses that would more fairly compensate us for the essential role we play for the university: a $3000 bonus and $500 fee relief for every eligible GA. To entice the Board, your bargaining team offered to leave Article 16 of our contract, which deals with health insurance, as status quo and conclude negotiations if the Board signed the proposal that day.

The Board did not offer a response to our proposal during the meeting, but did question our rationale behind a $3000 bonus across the board rather than a percentage-based bonus similar to their 1% offer. Your bargaining team replied that every FSU GA, regardless of their stipend amount, works hard for the benefit of the university and deserves a bonus that reflects their labor. Your union is committed to fighting for all GAs, no matter the specifics of their appointment. Afterall, a GA on the minimum stipend works just as hard as a GA making over twice that. While stipends are set by colleges and departments at what they deem competitive rates, an hour of work is the same across the university. 

Ultimately, the Board decided to not agree to our proposal during the session and instead prolong negotiations. They plan on issuing their counter-proposal in the next bargaining session, which we proposed to hold in the morning on Thursday, July 30th, or Friday July 31st. 

Thank you to everyone who continues to show up and support the bargaining effort! Despite the short notice of scheduling Session 4, we had over a dozen members attend between in-person and Zoom. Your presence sends a message that our words at the table alone could never achieve. It demonstrates that we are all invested and willing to show up to make things better for every single GA. Our eyes are on the Board’s actions, and we are showing them that we will not be appeased with a pittance, even in the middle of the summer. Keep showing up to support your bargaining team and plan to attend the upcoming Session 5, likely at the end of this week. We will post the exact date and time for this session once it is confirmed. Your union will continue to fight until we get a financial deal that works for all of us.

In Solidarity,

Elijah Noonan

PhD Student

Department of English

Bargaining Co-Chair