New Graduate Student Union president: 'Increased membership and support' crucial to success
The new president of Central Michigan University's Graduate Student Union plans on making the union more accessible than ever.
Erin Lewis was elected GSU president in April by a unanimous secret ballot vote and will serve until her term expires in one year.
As president, Lewis has plans to increase membership in the GSU and to make the union as accessible as possible to its members.
"One of the biggest impacts I want to make is to increase the membership percent for the GSU," she said.
Lewis said she will also work to provide graduate assistants with the strongest contracts possible.
"I want to make sure the GSU is an accessible resource for each of our members ... I am committed to making sure that graduate assistants have the best, strongest contract possible after the current (contract) negotiations are over," Lewis said.
As previously reported by Central Michigan Life, the GSU has introduced all of its bargaining platforms to CMU as it looks to negotiate a new contract with the university. Expanding leave time and health care coverage are among the GSU's top priorities.
Lewis believes an increase in membership in the GSU will also increase the strength of the union.
"Under my leadership, I would like to see the GSU’s membership numbers continue to increase; as our membership increases, so does our strength as a union," Lewis said in an email.
Through a large support group, Lewis said the GSU will be able to guarantee its graduate assistants better working conditions, salaries and benefits.
"With a larger amount of support and strength, the union will be able to guarantee the graduate assistants better working conditions, better salaries and better benefits," she said.
Lewis believes through the continued building of support from its members, the GSU will become a stronger union in the future.
"By building support for the union and building a strong leadership to take over when the current leadership has graduated, the union will be in a very strong position going into the future," Lewis said.
