By Bob Katzen

The Financial Services Committee held a hearing on a measure that would strike the exclusion of graduate student workers from the definition of “employee” in order to allow for graduate student workers to have access to paid family and medical leave and unemployment insurance.

“Graduate students are workers, plain and simple, oftentimes with families, mortgage and the same health, economic and life challenges that most working people face,” said sponsor Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “They put in long hours and perform critical work. Despite the fact that they are working for educational institutions with abundant endowments, many don’t have the same paid family and medical leave and unemployment insurance benefits that are afforded other hard-working people in the commonwealth. This bill would rightfully close that loophole and allow them the same rights as everyone else.”