The House Higher Education Committee two weeks ago approved a bill that would give collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants at the University of Hawaii.

House Bill 2859 faces a Friday deadline to be heard by the finance committee (a hearing for it is not scheduled yet), but Stateline reports that the proposal is part of a larger movement nationwide among grad students to fight against what they feel is exploitation.

From the article (which you should read in full):

University of Hawaii graduate assistants and researchers say they haven’t had a raise since 2004 and are paid far less than their counterparts at other major research universities, especially when the high cost of living in Hawaii is factored into the equation.