Septemer 05, 2025

Notice of Rights Under Federal Law - AY2025/2026
Union Membership & Fair Share Fee Status
Graduate Labor Organization, RIFTHP/AFT Local 6516

Dear Colleague:

As president of Graduate Labor Organization, RIFTHP-AFT Local 6516 (GLO), it is my pleasure to welcome you to our union! GLO is the union representing graduate student employees at Brown University (hereinafter, the employer). Because all employees negotiate together through the union, union members generally enjoy better job security, more professional workplaces, and more favorable wages and working conditions than non-union workers doing similar jobs. We are enormously proud of our union and our success in harnessing the collective voice of graduate student employees to advocate for living wages, comprehensive healthcare, professional development opportunities, and workplace protections. As your colleague, I am asking you to join us as we collectively grow our union on behalf of all graduate students.

The union is an affiliate of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (hereinafter, RIFTHP) and the American Federation of Teachers (hereinafter, AFT). These affiliations confer benefits by being part of a national network of professionals who can share best practices and speak with a united voice on behalf of our profession. The AFT currently represents more than 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators. These professionals recognize that the AFT and its affiliates have the experience and professionalism to help them achieve their goals.

I. Union Security

You are represented by GLO for purposes of collective bargaining with your employer. Union representation means that GLO, on your behalf and with your full and active participation, negotiates and administers a legally binding collective bargaining agreement (contract or CBA) that establishes your wages, benefits, and working conditions. The CBA contains a "union security clause" which provides that, as a condition of employment, employees who are covered by the contract must pay GLO Membership Dues or Fair Share Fees. Individuals who are members pay dues, whereas individuals who elect not be members of the union pay Fair Share Fees. These dues and fees, which are authorized by law, are your contribution to sustaining the union's broad range of programs in support of you and your colleagues. 

The union spends the vast majority of its funds on activities related to the representation of its members. These expenditures are considered to be germane to the collective-bargaining process and must be paid for by all individuals working under the union's contracts containing union security clause language. The union may also spend funds on activities such as organizing new bargaining units and legislative lobbying. The union believes that money spent on these activities advances one of our fundamental purposes – professionals helping other professionals to better their lives. However, federal courts may not consider some of these activities to be germane to the collective-bargaining process.

It is GLO's duty to inform you that over the years, the courts and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have limited enforcement of union security clauses. The Supreme Court has held that individuals covered by a CBA containing a union security clause may not be required to join the union and may only be required to pay that percentage of union dues that are germane to the collective bargaining process. Regardless of whether you choose to be a member or fee payer, all employees covered by the CBA between GLO and your employer must pay either union Membership Dues or Fair Share Fees. Failure to pay can result in the employee being removed from bargaining unit work.

II. Benefits of Membership

Employees who choose not to join the union or who resign their membership from the union lose benefits, rights and privileges to which they would have been or were entitled to as union members. These employees lose the right to vote to ratify CBAs, vote on any dues increase, and run and vote in the election of union officers. They lose the right to attend, speak and vote at union meetings. Moreover, it is illegal for an employer to compensate such employees for the loss of these valuable rights. However, non-members are still members of the collective bargaining unit in which they work, they are entitled to the benefits of the CBA covering their employment and GLO and its officers and employees will provide them with the representation required by law.

III. Your Right to Object

Individuals employed under a union security clause maintain the right to object to being a member of the union and may choose not to join or to resign their membership. Employees who decide not to join the union may choose to object and become a "Fair Share Fee" payer. These Fair Share Fees, paid by nonmembers, include the expenditures necessarily or reasonably incurred for the purpose of performing the duties of an exclusive representative of the employees in dealing with the employer. This includes the direct costs of negotiating and administering a CBA and settling grievances and disputes, as well as activities or undertakings normally or reasonably employed to implement or effectuate the duties of the union as the exclusive representative of the employees in a bargaining unit. These are "chargeable" activities which all workers covered by union security clauses contribute towards.

Some additional examples of chargeable activities include: meetings between your union representatives and representatives of the employer; enforcing workers' rights under the procedure in the contract for filing and processing grievances; attorneys' fees to enforce contract and workplace rights; and other related matters. Some examples of activities that are non-chargeable include: support for political candidates; lobbying local, state, and federal governments; community service; members-only benefits; charitable contributions; the costs of the union affiliating with other labor organizations; and organizing outside the AFT's core industries. You will not be required to contribute towards non-chargeable activities if you choose to become a Fair Share Fee payer. 

Hence, pursuant to the law and your CBA you have two options:

• Option 1: Union Member. You may choose to join the union as a Membership Dues authorizer, including all the rights and duties accorded members, and pay a uniform dues charge in the amount of 1.65% of monthly stipend imposed by GLO, as set forth in Article IV of the GLO Constitution, available here.

• Option 2: Fair Share Fee Authorizer. You may give up your right to membership and become a Fair Share Fee authorizer. By choosing to do so, you will not be entitled to the full range of rights and benefits of membership. Exercising this right will result in a small discount. The Fair Share Fee for the current fiscal year is 85% of the amount of full union dues, which is equivalent to 1.4025% of monthly stipend.

Pursuant to Article IV, § G(2) of the CBA, a graduate student employee shall be free to revoke their Membership Dues authorization or Fair Share Fees authorization at any time by notifying the employer or employer-designated office in writing.

IV. Your Right to Challenge the Fee Calculation

The Fair Share Fee is calculated annually, based on an audit of the union's chargeable and non-chargeable expenses and those of its affiliates. A challenger may request the current GLO Fair Share Fee audit, RIFTHP Fair Share Fee audit, or AFT Fair Share Fee audit by emailing the union at treasurer@glounion.org.  

In addition to the two options set forth above and any other avenues of relief available under the law, a non-member may challenge the union's classification or calculation of expenditures used by the union to determine the percentage of chargeable expenses germane to the collective bargaining process before a neutral arbitrator appointed by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) pursuant to its Rules for Impartial Determination of Union Fees. Individuals who choose to file challenges to the union's fee calculations, and thus those who request a hearing, must file the challenge in writing to the Union Treasurer at treasurer@glounion.org no later than 45 days from the first day of employment. This would typically be the first day of the academic semester of Brown University. Any objection a non-member makes may be coordinated or consolidated with other objections from other nonmembers before a single arbitrator. In such a challenge, GLO must justify its calculations and determinations. All hearings will be conducted in the Providence, RI area. The arbitrator's fees and expenses will be paid by GLO. However, an objector will have to pay their own expenses and the fees, costs and expenses of their witnesses and attorneys.

Once a written objection is received from an individual, GLO will adhere to the rules established by the courts and the NLRB as to the handling of the objector's fees until the arbitrator has issued their ruling. Generally, the objector must pay the fees as determined by the union's calculations. Those fees will be placed in a separate interest-bearing account. If the arbitrator's decision increases the percentage of non-chargeable expenditures, the appropriate portion of the fees will be refunded to the objector, plus interest earned. All Fair Share Fee authorizers will then pay the adjusted amount as determined by the arbitrator. If the arbitrator's decision approves the union's calculation, no adjustment will be made in the amount of the fee and the total fees paid and placed in the separate interest-bearing account will be released to GLO.

Individuals who choose to challenge GLO's fee calculations must file the challenge in writing via U.S. Mail addressed to:

Michael Ziegler, President
Graduate Labor Organization, AFT Local 6516 
5 Steeple St, #301 
Providence, RI 02909

The written objection must include the objector's name, address, phone number, employer, and work location. In order for GLO officials to be able to understand the nature of the objector's challenge, the objector is advised to also include a brief statement concerning the nature of the objection, including the objector's opinion as to the appropriate percentage for non-chargeable expenses. Objection will not be presumed. Fair Share Fee authorizers who do not file a timely notice of objection shall be deemed to have waived any right to a hearing to challenge the estimated percentage of reduction of that year's Fair Share Fee.

The union and its leadership are confident that the rights and benefits conferred on union members are worth the cost of membership dues and we hope that you'll participate in the union as a member. Your participation along with that of all of your colleagues is crucial to making the union a success. We look forward to welcoming you in person.

If you have any questions, please contact GLO at treasurer@glounion.org. 

In Solidarity,

Michael Ziegler, President
Graduate Labor Organization, AFT Local 6516