The Temple University Graduate Students’ Association (TUGSA) is the labor union that represents some teaching assistants and research assistants at Temple. Their contract expired on Feb. 15, 2026.

Temple University has presented the Temple University Graduate Students’ Association (TUGSA) with their initial economic proposal that would raise graduate assistants’ minimum stipend every year for four years, on top of the full tuition and fully paid health coverage the university already provides. 

The Oct. 21 proposal comes nearly a year into negotiations, after receiving the union’s first economic proposal 16 days prior. Since bargaining began in November 2025, the university has made clear that it wants to increase stipends for TUGSA, the graduate students who work part time as teaching and research assistants. The university has repeatedly asked the union for an economic proposal. TUGSA has brought numerous noneconomic proposals to the table, all of which the university has responded to, before presenting its first economic proposal on Oct. 5, 2026. As responsible stewards of university resources, the university responded with an economic proposal it can sustain. 

“We have wanted to talk about stipend increases since day one, and we’re glad economics are now on the table,” said Sharon Boyle, vice president of human resources. “Our graduate assistants are vital to Temple’s teaching and research, and our proposal reflects that. It is a fair increase that Temple can sustain, so we can keep admitting, fully funding and training the next generation of scholars. We are ready to meet more often and for longer to get this done.”  

As part of its proposal, Temple presented TUGSA with a four-year contract that would raise the minimum stipend by 2–2.25% each year. By the final year of the contract, the minimum annual stipend would rise from $27,000 to approximately $29,297. The university also proposed to continue 100% individual healthcare coverage for TUGSA members. The proposal asks for no concessions, consistent with the intention Temple expressed when bargaining began.  

Graduate assistants are integral to Temple. They lead recitations, labs and discussion sections; support faculty in the classroom; and help drive research across the university. They are also the next generation of faculty and researchers, which is why the university invests so heavily in them. 

“While TUGSA members are part-time employees, they are also our students, and we are committed to their success,” Boyle said. “Our current proposal keeps their health coverage fully paid by the university, even as healthcare costs rise every year. Absorbing those increases is a significant investment in our students, and it’s one we must balance with any increase to the stipend.” 

Graduate assistantships are not designed to be full-time jobs. Fully appointed TUGSA members are full-time graduate students who work about 20 hours a week during the nine-month academic year, leaving time for their own coursework and research. In return, the university provides a package built around their education: a stipend, full tuition remission and fully paid health coverage.  

That package is substantial. TUGSA members are the only Temple employees, union or nonunion, who receive 100% coverage of individual health insurance premiums, year-round. With a current minimum stipend of $27,000, the total average minimum compensation package for a TUGSA member is approximately $55,844 for part-time work nine months of the year. In fiscal year 2026, Temple’s graduate students, excluding those in professional programs, received more than $20 million in tuition remission and more than $14 million in grants and scholarships.  

As Philadelphia’s public research university, new commitments are funded mostly by tuition. Nearly two-thirds of Temple students are Pennsylvanians, and half of our 2026–2027 incoming undergraduates receive federal Pell Grants. This year the university is investing a record $196.1 million in undergraduate financial aid.  

TUGSA’s contract expired on Feb. 15, 2026, and graduate assistants have not received a stipend increase since August 2025. To bring negotiations to a resolution, the university has proposed meeting more frequently and for longer sessions, focused on the stipend increase graduate assistants have been waiting for. The sooner the two sides can reach an agreement, the sooner graduate assistants will receive their increases.  

The university remains committed to a fair contract that keeps Temple affordable; one that provides graduate students with a fair compensation package and resources that support their education and future careers, while keeping a Temple education affordable for every student who seeks it.  

The two parties will meet next to continue negotiations on Nov. 16. 

For more information on TUGSA negotiations, visit this website.