Graduate students from all branches of study gathered at the Willow Creek Theater on Thursday to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the student union, which was formed in April 1996.
A union is formed when workers organize to bargain collectively with their superiors to address workplace issues.
Olivia Jones is a research assistant in the physics and astronomy department and currently serves as the President of COGS. Jones said she likely wouldn’t have gone to graduate school without the union.
“Throughout history, unions have been capable of doing some really great things. That’s why we have a five-day work week, all sorts of things like that,” Jones said.
Since the union was formed in 1996, students within it decided to throw a dance party with a ‘90s theme. Guests were treated to classic goodies reminiscent of the era, including sugar cookies, Capri-Sun, and Gushers.
The union party was open to everyone, members or not. Zach Demko, a graduate student in clinical psychology, expressed his appreciation of the inclusiveness.
“The union is for everyone, it’s great, and we want to be inclusive, we do a good job of making a space where everybody feels welcome,” he said. “One way that we do that is by hosting social events where everybody’s welcome. You don’t have to be a union member.”
Anne Moore, the union’s press and publicity coordinator, expressed problems about the union’s membership numbers despite recent outreach events.
Moore described the event as the finale of their “blitz” event, a two-week effort where organizers visit departments across campus to connect with graduate students and spread awareness about the union.
“A lot of people, they’re covered by our contract, but they don’t even know what we do,” Moore said.
Moore said COGS has committed to providing university students with information about unionizing, and being part of a union has become harder over the years, specifically since 2017 when an Iowa law on collective bargaining passed.
Under the law Moore referred to, House File 291, unions representing non-public safety workers are not able to bargain on items such as health insurance or use payroll deduction to collect dues.
Despite the challenges they face with outreach and membership, COGS members profess their support and insist on the benefits of unions.
“Because of the union, we have graduate students who are TAs and RAs; they have tuition covered, they have reduced fees,” Jones said. “We have a dedicated health care plan, and all of those things were won by the union over the years.”