On Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of Columbia graduate students in their fight to become recognized employees of their universities and have the right to unionize. This 3-1 decision will now force private universities to collectively bargain with graduate students, but prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia have condemned the board’s decision. The universities are concerned about the lengthy and expensive bargaining as well as the disruption of academic freedoms that will result from this decision. Additionally, Peter McDonough, VP and general counsel at the American Council on Education, argues that the ruling could result in less federal work study positions on campus that benefit students from low and middle income households.
See "Labor board ruling on graduate student employment rankles universities, lawmakers", Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post, August 24, 2016