AMHERST — Graduate student employees at the University of Massachusetts are calling on President Joe Biden to issue an executive order canceling all student debt.
A resolution unanimously adopted Thursday by the Graduate Employee Organization, United Auto Workers 2322, which has almost 2,500 members at UMass, cites inflation, ongoing contract talks with the administration that could reduce salaries, and the concept that education is a right that should be accessible for everyone as reasons for Biden to take action.
“Our members are dealing with skyrocketing costs of living at the same time that our employer is suggesting cuts to our wages in contract negotiations,” Bilgesu Sumer, who co-chairs the union, said in a statement.
“This makes the impact of student debt that much more detrimental to our members’ financial, mental and physical health.”
The resolution states that 55% of Massachusetts residents have student loan debt, with an average debt of $33,256, and that “education is a right that should be accessible to all and not a commodity that should anchor families with debt for generations.”
Also in the resolution is an appeal to Massachusetts elected officials, including members of the regional legislative delegation and Attorney General Maura Healey, to urge Biden to employ the compromise and settlement powers of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and in doing so provide economic relief to 44 million people.
Ian Rhodewalt, a graduate student and instructor in labor studies, introduced the resolution, citing a statistic that two-thirds of student debt is held by women, and that Black women, on average, owe 22% more than their white peers.
“Student debt cancellation is an economic justice issue, a racial justice issue and a gender equity issue,” Rhodewalt said.
Finally, GEO-UAW 2322 is asking for both the International UAW union and the state and national offices of the AFL-CIO to pressure Biden on the matter.
