What is a Graduate Assistant?

A Graduate Assistant is a student enrolled in a graduate-level academic program who is employed by their university to assist in teaching, research, or other duties related to their course of study. At the University of South Florida, GAs may teach, conduct research, or have other responsibilities that contribute to the student's professional development. All graduate assistants employed by USF work under a contract negotiated by Graduate Assistants United (GAU) and the USF Board of Trustees. The GAU is the labor union certified as the exclusive bargaining agent for graduate assistants at USF.

Who is eligible to become a GAU Member?

Graduate Students at USF who are employed by the university as Graduate Assistants (Job Code 9185), Graduate Teaching Assistants/Associates (Job Codes 9183 and 9184), Graduate Instructional Assistants (Job Code 9550), and/or Graduate Research Assistants/Associates (Job Codes 9181 and 9182) are eligible for USF GAU membership. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please send us a message and we would be happy to help you find your eligibility status.

What is Florida Senate Bill 256?

In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed CS/CS/SB 256, which directly affects public sector unions such as GAU. The law requires all public sector unions (except for police, fire department, and correctional officer unions) to obtain 60% membership of their collective bargaining units to retain certification, and dues are no longer allowed to be deducted from your paycheck but rather through a process known as eDues; this makes it much harder for public unions like ours to achieve and retain the respect and dignity that our members deserve. If we do nothing, our contract and all of the protections we have earned are at risk. Become a member today and/or sign a Statement of Interest Card to help us fight for our right to bargain for the protections, benefits, and compensation we deserve.

How much are the USF GAU dues?

Dues payments are required to become a member of USF GAU. Our dues are 1% of each paycheck and are billed on your biweekly payday on either a 9 or 12-month schedule. For most Graduate Assistants, dues are typically between $7-12 , and are dependent on your stipend amount. We now use a system known as eDues for all dues payments which uses a software called Plaid to verify payment details during the membership enrollment process. If you have any questions about the eDues process or need help signing up, please send us a message and a representative will be happy to assist you!