USF Graduate Union: University Delays Stipend Talks to Summer

The University of South Florida rejected a request from its graduate assistant union to negotiate pay raises for the coming school year.

University officials told the union that the Board of Trustees has not yet authorized any pay increases for the 2026-2027 academic year. The university stated that negotiations can only begin once the budget is finalized, a process that may not be complete until July. This delay forces graduate assistants to wait several months for a decision on their stipends.

Tessa Barber, president of the Graduate Assistants Union, said the university’s response violates the understanding the groups had when signing their previous agreement. Barber noted that the university requested a year of delays before denying the union’s request to bargain for stipends. She described the decision as disrespectful to the financial struggles graduate assistants face in real time.

Barber stated that more than a quarter of classes at USF are taught by graduate students. She added that these workers bring in hundreds of millions of dollars through their research. Despite this contribution, Barber said university pay has remained stagnant while housing, food, and gas prices have risen. She reported that many graduate assistants are now experiencing food and housing insecurity.

Graduate assistants typically work a minimum of 40 hours per week in learning and teaching roles. Barber said the university has recently cracked down on staff working outside jobs to supplement their income. She explained that graduate assistants now face greater difficulty working in the service industry without fear of losing their university positions. This limits their ability to cover living costs while their wages remain flat.

USF President Moez Limayem told students at a town hall earlier this year that graduate assistant stipends are not high enough. He also stated that graduate assistants are not supposed to live solely on their stipends. The graduate assistant union at USF formed in 1980, making it one of the oldest in the nation. Its status is currently threatened by Senate Bill 1296, a new state law that requires half of workers to vote in a union election for it to be valid. A legislative staff analysis found that the bill could violate the state Constitution.

The next bargaining session is open to the public. It will be held on the USF campus on November 13 at 10 a.m.