Graduate students who teach classes and conduct research at the University of Minnesota are again debating whether to form a union.

Organizers say they have gathered signatures from a majority of nearly 5,000 graduate assistants on the Twin Cities campus. If certified by the state, that's more than required to hold an election.

This would be the fourth try. Past efforts failed when put up for a vote. During the most recent attempt, in 2005, about 58 percent of graduate employees who cast ballots voted no.

Sara Nelson, a teaching assistant in geology, says that this time organizers plan to approach university administrators with signed cards from a majority of graduate assistants and ask the U to jointly petition to recognize the union. She declined to say when they might do so. "We want as strong a majority as possible," she said.

But the university will not voluntarily recognize a union, a spokeswoman said by e-mail. "The university would prefer to work directly with each graduate assistant."

On its website, the University of Minnesota argues that teaching and research assistants are "better off" negotiating their compensation and terms individually with departments. It also warns that a union "would fundamentally alter the working relationship between graduate assistants and faculty and other colleagues."

At a meeting Thursday, organizers dismissed such claims as scare tactics commonly used when employees look to organize.

Prof. Richard McGehee, director of graduate studies for the U's School of Mathematics, said that he asked faculty friends at the University of Wisconsin-Madison how the graduate assistant union changed things there. "I said, 'So tell me about it: Has the existence of this union ... destroyed the relationship?" he told the crowd of about 150. "No, quite the contrary. 'It helps.'"

A panel of graduate assistants, faculty members and a state representative described why they support forming a union, this time with the help of the United Auto Workers, which represents grad assistants at several universities, including the University of Washington.

Right now, panelists said, U administrators can change pay, health care benefits and working conditions without consultation. With a union, graduate assistants would be able to negotiate those things.

The U argues that students already have a voice -- through student government. In its online "frequently asked questions," the U points out that in recent years, graduate assistants have been exempted from hiring pauses, furloughs and wage freezes.

Given signatures from the majority of members of an employee group, "the university could, if they wanted to, voluntarily recognize a union or labor organization," said Jan Johnson, labor mediation manager for the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services. But "very rarely" does an employer volunteer to do so, she said.

"They often want their employees to be able to cast a ballot."

Jenna Ross • 612-673-7168