Election FAQ

The ballot will consist of a simple Yes/No option for the question "Do you wish to be represented for the purpose of collective bargaining by United Election, Radio, And Machine Workers of America (UE)?". This is the full name of UE, the national union that NUGW affiliated with in Fall of 2022.

Placing an X in the "YES" option will help us secure our union and start to make real wins for graduate workers.

Be careful not to add any additional markings to the ballot. Just place an X in the appropriate square to make your choice.

All voting must be done in person.

Evanston will have two polling locations:
North Campus --  Classroom 2210 in Mudd Library
South Campus --  Room 122 Parkes Hall

Chicago will have one polling location:
Room 1-165 (Gray Seminar Room) Lurie Medical Research Center

You will be assigned a polling location based on your academic program.

Graduate workers in the following academic programs will vote in Mudd Library (Evanston North):

• Accounting Information and Management
  Applied Physics
  Astronomy PhD
  Biomedical Engineering
  Chemical and Biological Engineering
  Chemistry
  Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Communication Sciences and Disorders
  Communication Studies/Rhetoric and Public Culture
  Computer Science
  Computer Science and Learning Sciences
  Earth and Planetary Sciences
  Economics
  Electrical and Computer Engineering
  Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics
  Finance
  Financial Economics
  Human Development and Social Policy
  Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences (IEMS)
  Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences (IBiS)
  Learning Sciences
  MA Public Policy & Admin
  MA Sports Admin
  Management and Organizations and Sociology (MORS)
  Management and Orgnizations
  Managerial Economics and Strategy
  Marketing
  Master Bus Admin/Artificial Int
  Master Bus. Admin
  Master of Engineering Management
  Materials Science and Engineering
  Mechanical Engineering
  Media, Technology, and Society
  MS Analytics
  MS Artificial Intelligence
  MS Biotech
  MS Computer Info Systems
  MS Data Science
  MS Energy and Sustainability
  MS Executive Management Design and Construction
  MS Global Health
  MS Health analytics
  MS in Design
  MS Information design & strategy
  MS Information systems
  MS Information Technology
  MS Management Studies
  MS Medical informatics
  MS predictive analytics
  MS Product Design & Development
  MS Project Management
  MS Regulatory compliance
  MS Robotics
  Operations Management
  Physics and Astronomy
  Physics PhD
  Plant Biology and Conservation
  Technology and Social Behavior
  Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Graduate workers in the following academic programs will vote in Parkes Hall (Evanston South):

• Acting MFA
  African American Studies
  Anthropology
  Art History
  Art, Theory, Practice
  Comparative Literary Studies
  Design MFA
  Directing MFA
  Doctor of Musical Arts
  Documentary Media MFA
  English
  French and Italian
  German Literature and Critical Thought
  History
  Linguistics
  MA Creative writing
  MA Liberal studies
  MA literature
  MA Sound arts & Industries
  MA writing
  Marketing
  Master of Music
  Math
  MFA creative writing
  MFA prose and poetry
  MFA-MA Creative Writing & English
  MS Communication
  Music
  Performance Studies
  Philosophy
  Political Science
  Psychology
  Religious Studies
  Screen Cultures
  Slavic Languages and Literatures
  Sociology
  Spanish and Portuguese
  Statistics
  Theater and Drama
  Writing MFA

Graduate workers in the following academic programs will vote in Lurie (Chicago)

• Driskill Graduate Program (DGP)
  Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (NUIN)
  Medical Scientist Training Program
  Clinical Psychlogy
  Health Sciences Integrated PhD
  MA, Public Policy & Administration
  MA, Sports Adminstration
  MS, Computer Info Systems
  MS, Data Science
  MS, Global Health
  MS, Health Analytics
  MS, Health Informatics
  MS, Information Design & Strategy
  MS, Information Systems
  MS, Medical Informatics
  MS, Predictive Analytics
  MS, Regulatory Compliance
  MA, Liberal Studies
  MA, Literature
  MA, Creative Writing
  MA, Writing
  MFA, Creative Writing
  MFA, Prose and Poetry

For the Evanston NORTH Campus polls are open from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm on Jan 10 and Jan 11, 2023

For the Evanston SOUTH Campus polls are open from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm* and 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm* on Jan 10 and Jan 11, 2023

On Chicago Campus polls are open from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm on Jan 10 and Jan 11, 2023

* Note that these hours are slightly shorter than the North Evanston Campus polling hours.

You can vote in this election if you are a graduate student currently enrolled in a Northwestern University degree program who is providing instructional and research services for the university, including graduate assistants, teaching assistants, research assistants, and fellows. If you believe you fall into this definition, you should vote on election day. If you aren’t sure if you fall into this definition, you should still vote on election day. Please reach out to nugraduateworkers@gmail.com with questions or concerns.

The election is run by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The election rules, logistics, and timing are ultimately set by the NLRB rules.

Polling places will be run by NLRB staff, and ballots will only ever be viewed or counted by NLRB workers.

You will wait in line at your designated polling place.
Once you enter the line you are guaranteed to vote! Do not leave the line if one of the poll close times is close! If you are in the line, stay in the line!

An NLRB poll worker will ask you your name and check it against the unchallenged voter list. Regardless of the result you are allowed to vote!
You will then fill out a ballot asking if you support NUGW-UE as your representative for contract negotiation, enabling us to fight for:

• Competitive Pay
• Comprehensive healthcare
• Professional standards in labs and classrooms
• Support for international students
• Power and Protection at work
• and more

Your ballot will then be collected by the poll worker and placed into an unchallenged or challenged vote list.
Unchallenged votes will be counted on election day.
Challenged votes will possibly be opened at a future date.
Only the NLRB will know how you voted.

To give yourself the smoothest experience:

• Attend your department's polling location
• Stay in line until you cast your vote!

These cases can get a bit complicated. Reach out to one of your department organizers or email nugraduateworkers@gmail.com and we can get you a clear answer!

We are setting up some carpools and other transport options to help folks get out and vote!
Reach out to your department organizer or email nugraduateworkers@gmail.com for full details