Across the country, workers are breaking their silence on issues of discrimination, harassment and assault in all industries, including academia. SEIU Faculty Forward and Graduate Workers Forward hosted #TimesUp in the Ivory Tower, an informative webinar on sexual harassment in higher education including an overview of federal law and how graduate workers are organizing with unions to address harassment on campus. Speakers included experts Elizabeth Tang, Equal Justice Works Fellow with the National Women’s Law Center; Jaya Chatterjee, Assistant Legislative Director with SEIU; and Ajenai Clemmons and Jessica Gokhberg, graduate students and members of the Duke Graduate Student Union (DGSU).
Participants were particularly inspired by the courageous DGSU members who discussed how they organized to demand better support for graduate students who have been harassed. Jessica Gokhberg organized with Ajenai Clemmons and other graduate workers to advocate for stronger, transparent policies and processes regarding sexual harassment. The Duke Graduate Student Union has not only fought for and won better working conditions on campus, but has become a leading force in the movement to address sexual harassment in higher education. View the segment featuring members of the Duke Graduate Student Union here.
