Skip to Menu

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I become a member?

It's easy. Just fill out the union membership card that came with your membership handbook and put it in campus mail. If you don't have one, print the membership card, or call the TAA office (256-4375) and we'll get one to you.

Why should I become a member?

Signing a membership card gives you an equal voice in setting union policy and the opportunity to control your wages, benefits, and working conditions. Signing a card shows your support for all of the past TAA members who have bargained for the benefits you enjoy-and a way of committing yourself to making things better for TAs, PAs, and RAs in the future. And there is no additional fee for becoming a voting member.

When you sign up as a TAA member, you will begin receiving weekly update e-mails from the TAA office. You will be able to stay informed about current union issues, upcoming meetings, ballots, actions, and social events. You'll be eligible to vote in all union elections and issue ballots (new contract offers, union policy changes, etc.) and you'll get the information you need to take part in these important decisions. Wondering when your next pay raise is coming? Become a member and stay informed.

Joining the TAA also increases the union's negotiating strength. Each additional member reinforces the message to the administration and the state that the TAA is a force to be taken seriously. Past experience shows that this greatly improves the TAA's chances of success at the bargaining table. This improves and protects all of our working conditions. Graduate employees are dependent on the university not only for appointments to cover a portion of their living expenses, but also for grades and recommendations. Only a strong union can bargain for fair contracts and protect graduate employees from excessive workloads, harassment, discrimination, and retribution, all of which could damage our future careers.

If you think you don't need to join because things are fine in your department, think again. No matter how good they are, they could be even better, especially with the budget as tight as it is these days. Besides, even if things seem fine now, conditions could deteriorate with a shift in university priorities, a new department chair, or bad budget news. Only an effective union presence guarantees that the administration doesn't react to these changes by trying to squeeze more work out of its graduate employees.

Can international students get involved in the TAA?

Yes! The TAA is for all PAs and TAs. You can join—and be active in —the TAA with no fear of repercussions. In the 30-year history of the TAA, no international student has had any problems with the university or with her visa status as a result of her involvement with the union. Furthermore, it is against the law for the university to discriminate against anyone as a result of her union activity, and union activity cannot be taken into account when the INS considers your VISA. The TAA is here to protect and represent you, and is the best resource for you if you run into complications with your job. By getting involved, you can make sure that the TAA can represent the full diversity of the union!

How do I get an item on the agenda for a TAA Membership Meeting?

If you have an issue of pressing concern you'd like to see the TAA membership address at a meeting, contact your department steward and ask her/him to forward your agenda item to the TAA Executive Board for inclusion in the meeting agenda. You can also contact the TAA office directly at 256-4375 or via e-mail at taa@taa-madison.com.

How much are my dues and when do I pay them?

Dues are 1.5% of your gross salary and are automatically deducted from your paycheck. Your dues enable the union to negotiate contracts by paying for TAA hired staff, rent, and supplies. A portion of your dues also goes to the WFT and AFT to lobby legislatures and organize new unions. Paying union dues is one of the best investments you'll ever make.

What is the Maintenance of Membership (or "fair share") fee, and why do nonmembers have to pay it?

Wisconsin law requires that the TAA contract protect and apply to all TAs and PAs, and that the TAA represent and provide services to all employees, not just to TAA members. It's only fair that all PAs and TAs pay their fair share of the cost of bargaining the contract, handling employee grievances, and lobbying for improved employee benefits.

TAs and PAs who aren't union members pay a monthly representation fee to cover the costs of union representation, because all TAs and PAs enjoy union-won benefits such as affordable health and dental care, wage increases, and a fair grievance procedure. This fee is called a "Maintenance of Membership fee," or "MoM fee," for short. Both members and non-members have 1.2% of their salaries deducted as either union dues or MoM fees. (Non-members, however, are eligible for an advance rebate of the portion of their dues that goes towards political or ideological purposes unrelated to bargaining and contract enforcement. Once a year non-members receive a mailing explaining how to claim this rebate.)

MoM fees were instituted in 1989, after 30% of the bargaining unit, both members and non-members, petitioned the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to hold a Maintenance of Membership election. Over 50% of those voting in the election voted in favor of the MoM fee.

If you join the union, you'll have a voice in how dues money is being spent and in the priorities of the TAA. You'll be able to discuss and vote on the contract that protects you. You'll also receive regular emails from the TAA informing you about the state of your contract and recent grievance victories that may affect you ? so why not join today?

I'm not a TA or PA anymore, but you're still taking dues out of my paycheck. What's going on?

If you joined the TAA while you were a TA or PA and later moved to a different position anywhere in the UW System, UW Payroll automatically changes your union membership status to an Associate Member. They do not cancel any union member's membership until they receive a request to do so through the TAA's Membership Secretary. The amount that's being deducted from your paycheck reflects the associate member fees, which are currently $7.50/month.

Many people choose to remain associate members of the TAA. Some associate members feel that it makes more sense to remain a member of the TAA so that they can vote on the contract that will represent them when they work as a TA or PA again. These people also recognize that the benefits that RAs receive (e.g. health insurance, tuition remission) are based on the benefits that the TAA negotiates for TAs and PAs. Some TAA members have appointments that change frequently, leading them to work as a TA one semester, an RA the next, and a PA the next, and find it easier to simply remain a member the entire time Finally, quite a few associate members maintain their TAA membership because they enjoy being active in the union!

If you would like to withdraw your associate membership in the TAA, you can contact the TAA office at any time. Once you've provided all of the necessary information, the TAA's Membership Secretary will send your request to UW-Madison's Payroll Office.

What has the TAA done for me?

In the past 30 years, the TAA has successfully won:

What can I do for the TAA?

The TAA is YOUR union! Take ownership of your union by being an engaged and active member. Talk to your department steward about the union's agenda or become a steward yourself; join a committee; attend a bargaining session; attend membership meetings to discuss and vote on union priorities; wear a TAA T-shirt or button; tell your students you're a union member; stand up for your rights! We owe our successes to the volunteer involvement of our members—grad students just like you. Call the TAA today to find out how you fit in!

Can RAs, Fellows and other grad students join the TAA?

Voting membership in the TAA is also open to all graduate students at UW-Madison, including RAs, Fellows, and graduate lecturers. As an associate member of the union, you retain all of the rights and privileges of TA/PA members, including the right to attend membership meetings and other union events, vote in elections and contract ratification ballots, serve as an elected officer in the union, and receive weekly update e-mails.

Even though the wages, benefits, and working conditions established in the TAA contract legally apply to TAs and PAs only, the university extends many of the benefits negotiated by the TAA to other graduate employees. So even if you're not a TA or PA right now, supporting the TAA gives you some voice in how you work and learn at UW-Madison. And if you expect to be a TA or PA in the future, it's definitely worth the time to join the union.

Since its founding in 1969, TAA members have used their union to improve the working and learning conditions of graduate students across the UW-Madison campus. The union is a great way to get involved in campus politics and policy-making, and help shape the future of public higher education at Wisconsin's flagship university. If you're concerned about diversity issues, child care availability, international student issues, the current state funding crisis, or access and affordability issues, just to name a few, the TAA has volunteer opportunities that can get you involved in shaping the future of UW-Madison. It's also a great social network - you'll meet graduate students from all over campus.

How do I sign up for health insurance?

Any TA or PA with a 33% (or higher) appointment is eligible for the health insurance benefits negotiated in the TAA contract. Ask your department administrative assistant for benefits information on how to sign up. There are some dental benefits available under this policy, but there is not separate dental insurance sign-up.

Be sure that you sign up within 30 days after the start-date of your job! This deadline is very strict and controlled by Wisconsin State law. If you do not sign up for insurance during this window, you will not have another opportunity until you have a 30-day break in employment with the university. (For example, if you do not work for the university during the summer, this is considered a "break" in employment; you can then enroll the next fall as if you were a new employee, assuming you again have a 33% or higher TAship or PAship.)

Do I have to pay for SHIP (Student Health Insurance Program)?

If you have a 33% (or higher) TA or PA position, you are eligible for the health insurance plans negotiated by the union. If you do NOT have such a position, and you are U.S. citizen, you are not required to sign up for SHIP. You may do so if you choose, in order to obtain some level of health insurance coverage. International students, however, are required by law to maintain health insurance. So, if you are an international student without a 33% (or higher) TA or PA position, the university will automatically enroll you in SHIP. In order to opt out of SHIP, you must file a waiver indicating that you have alternate health insurance.

Can I get any benefits for my domestic partner?

The State has so far refused to allow the UW to provide health benefits for domestic partners, despite years of efforts on many fronts, including pressure from the TAA at the bargaining table. The UW does offer some benefits for partners of UW students and workers. These include access to the libraries, recreational facilities, and campus housing. For more information, see The University's official Domestic Partnership Policy.

At the moment, the only means by which graduate students can secure health insurance benefits for domestic partners is to sign up for SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan) as the primary insured party. Unfortunately, the benefits you receive as a 33.3% (or higher) TA or PA do not transfer to SHIP: you must directly pay the full premium for yourself and your partner. See the University Health Services website at http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/home.jsp?cat_id=116 for more details on SHIP, what it covers, and the cost.

Graduate students (regardless of TA or PA status) can, however, directly sign up their domestic partners for primary (basic) health care at the University Health Services clinic. The registered UW-Madison student must enroll the domestic partner and pay a fee; see the University Health Services website at http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/display_faq.jsp?id=93&cat_id=116 for more information.

How can I switch from one health insurance plan to another?

If you would like to switch to a different health insurance plan, there are some strict rules. You must file the request to switch plans during the "Dual Choice Enrollment Period" during the month of October. See the "Its Your Choice" booklet for more details; this booklet is also available online at http://etf.wi.gov/publications/et2127.htm.

Your request to switch plans will then become effective on the following January 1st. The request is filed by filling out a new Health Insurance Application. Health insurance forms can be ordered from the UW Employee Benefits Services website at http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp-forms-sgh.html or you can obtain one from your department benefits coordinator.

If you want to switch plans at any other time, you may do so, but this will trigger a 180-day waiting period for pre-existing conditions. This means that any condition deemed by the insurance company to have existed prior to your new insurance start date will not be covered. (Pregnancy is usually an exception to this pre-existing condition rule.) You should consult with a UW Employee Benefits specialist about the full range of implications of switching outside the "Dual-Choice" enrollment period.

How can I add my new spouse or baby to my health insurance plan?

You can add your spouse or child to your existing health insurance plan without penalty by submitting a Health Insurance Application within 30 days of the marriage or birth of the child. The request is filed by filling out a new Health Insurance Application. Health insurance forms can be ordered from the UW Employee Benefits Services website at http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp- or you can obtain one from your department benefits coordinator.

We recommend that employees who experience a "qualifying event" (e.g., marriage, divorce, birth of a child) consult with a UW Employee Benefits specialist, as there may also be other benefits that are impacted.

Who gets a tuition waiver?

All TAs and PAs with semester appointments of 33.3% or higher receive a full tuition waiver. (Note that you cannot be assigned an appointment of less than 33.3% without your consent.) Hourly PAs are eligible for a tuition reimbursement if, by the end of the semester, they've worked the equivalent of a 33.3% semester appointment. (You must still, however, pay the tuition at the beginning of the semester.)

In the fall of 1998, the tuition waiver was extended to research assistants (RAs) even though they are not represented by the TAA -- another example of how union-negotiated benefits often are carried over to RAs, since the university wants to maintain relative benefits parity between TAs, RAs, and PAs. For more information, see the university's policy regarding tuition remission.

How can I receive tuition remission during the summer?

You are eligible to receive tuition remission during the summer if you either (a) received tuition remission during the previous spring semester, or (b) work a 33.3% appointment for at least eight weeks during the summer.

How do I pay my fees?

Due to a change in university software in 1999, segregated fees can no longer be deducted from your paycheck. You can arrange to postpone paying segregated fees until after you receive your first paycheck. If you need to pay any surcharges in addition to the segregated fees, you can arrange to pay on an installment basis. To arrange either of these options, contact the bursar's office at 262-3611.

What should I do if I get a tuition bill?

First, contact your department and verify that it has sent a "Remission Authorization Card" to the Registrar. If they haven't, you can ask them to submit one, or you can take one to Window 24 in the Peterson Building and ask them to correct your bill. If your department has sent in the Remission Authorization Card and you get a bill for tuition, contact the Fee Section at the Registrar's Office at 165 Peterson or call 262-2367. If they can't help, call Mike Rothstein, university contract administrator, at 263-2511. Finally, call the TAA office at 256-4375.

Why isn't FICA withheld from my pay?

Due to a state budget bill that was approved in 1999, the UW no longer withholds FICA (social security and medicare) from the monthly salaries of TAs and PAs who are enrolled at least half-time. This resulted in a de facto 7.65% pay increase for all TAs and PAs who had been paying FICA taxes to date. There are many exceptions to this legislation. For details, consult the UW System's financial and administrative policies.