Temple University Announces Tentative Agreement With Striking Grad Students

• The university will reimburse health costs and reinstate tuition remission after ending healthcare and tuition benefits for striking grad students earlier this month.
• The student union said its members will keep striking until a contract has been signed.
• The tentative contract would raise several pay minimums, grant a one-time payment, and retain single health coverage.

Temple University in Pennsylvania announced it had reached a tentative agreement with the union representing striking graduate student workers.

According to a Feb. 17 announcement from the university, this new contract with the Temple University Graduate Students' Association would increase pay minimums this year, create a one-time payment for this month, and include pay increases over the next three academic years. The agreement would also retain single health coverage for graduate student employees.

The new health coverage conditions contradict the union's demands for Temple to provide healthcare for dependents and family members. According to Temple, the union has also agreed to withdraw its claims of unfair labor practices related to the negotiations process.

Temple also announced it will provide health cost reimbursements and reinstate tuition remission after removing healthcare and tuition remission for striking union members.

On Feb. 8, Temple notified the community that they were removing tuition remission for striking students. Temple told BestColleges on Feb. 10 that students who chose not to work are no longer entitled to compensation and work-related benefits.

Temple said that the union will present the agreement for ratification soon. Until then, the union said that students will keep striking.

Since the beginning of negotiations, we had an open and democratic process with members where members decide how the union moves forward, the union tweeted. The strike is not over until members ratify a new contract.