Clarifying Negotiations between SWC and University

How to stay informed

In order to receive much-needed clarifications in response to the Office of Provost university-wide emails, we encourage everyone to continuously refer to our website, https://www.studentworkersofcolumbia.com/, and our social media (Twitter, Instagram) for up to date information. We have included a few brief facts on compensation and arbitration at the end of this email.

For Faculty: we invite you to a cross-departmental and cross-school informational Faculty Town Hall this Friday, December 17th at 12PM at this zoom link. 

You can also sign up to the faculty digest, for regular updates. 

Message from Student Workers of Columbia

Dear members of the Columbia Community, 

This past week the University released a newsletter to advertise its last proposal to the student workers union. Student workers have rejected their offer as insufficient in multiple meetings with hundreds of attendees, and through polling of thousands of union members. Despite this, the University has not engaged in moving forward with negotiations in a week, and doesn’t seem to be interested in resolving our collective crisis. 

Last Tuesday Columbia student workers put forth a proposal to the University in an effort to close negotiations and return to normalcy. Our proposal introduced moves across all areas, tens of millions of dollars in cuts from our previous positions, and focused on the absolute minimum. Instead of engaging with our proposal, the University came back with an insufficient offer. A brief comparison is available here. Their most notable move was introducing a 75% subsidy for a dental plan for PhD students only in the months during which they are on appointment, and miniscule compensation increases that still fail to address record inflation levels this year or the cost of living in NYC (as estimated by GSAS). 

In a regressive move, the University removed an agency shop clause from the tentative agreement (all workers who are represented by the union pay fair share fees). Most disappointingly, the University is still holding on to its egregious refusal to allow its student workers access to independent review of discrimination and harassment cases by an arbitrator trained on Title IX, and to recognize all of its student workers teaching or doing research as such. 

We have communicated to the University through our mediator that we are ready to work together on contingency plans to make up for missed coursework this semester as soon as an agreement is reached. Despite our struggle, we care about our students' ability to progress academically. Granting blanket grades or pending credits does not help them. Unfortunately, instead of working towards this goal, the University concentrated its efforts on disciplining faculty and student workers, tampering with departmental autonomy, and promoting its last proposal through official and unofficial channels, often presenting misleading information.

We nevertheless remain invested in reaching an agreement as soon as possible, and plan to offer the University further proposals that bring our positions closer. With them, we are offering the University yet another pathway to salvage the remainder of the current semester and return to normalcy. To this end, we urge the University to agree to our proposals by Sunday December 19th. 

We did not wish to have to strike for this long, nor do we wish for the strike to continue into the Spring. However, we remain committed to secure a strong first contract, recognizing that it forms the foundation for our future. Help us reach a fair agreement that would benefit all of Columbia’s academic community. 

Fact Checks: Compensation 

Columbia’s claim that Harvard’s increases are lower than their last offer is dishonest. Here is why. 

Among other things, in their last offer Columbia:

• Does not address the cost of living in NYC for PhD students. The baseline increase for PhD students of only 3% (5% if on appointment), when year-over-year inflation is at a 39-year high of 6.81% in the U.S., is an effective pay cut that would set PhD student compensation minimums even further below the cost of living in NYC compared to last year.

• Does not extend summer stipends to all schools with PhD students enrolled in a program funded on a nine- or ten-month basis, or to PhD students beyond year 5. 

• Does not waive grueling tuition and health fees (~$6,074/year) which PhD students off appointment and beyond their guaranteed funding years must pay just to remain registered. 

• Does not offer any compensation increases to PhD student workers currently paid more than their proposed annual compensation minimum. 

What about Neutral Arbitration?

• The University refuses to give us neutral review of any cases of discrimination and harassment - the foundation of our demand. Arbitrators are given no power to contradict internal rulings and in nearly all cases are only permitted to send the case back to the EOAA process. Quoting the University’s proposal: “the arbitrator’s sole power if they agree with the Complainant’s position will be to remand the matter back to the University for consideration of the new evidence, procedural error or working conditions, as the case may be.”  Even in the exceptional case where a complaint can prove that the investigator had a conflict of interest or showed  bias - AND were able to prove it changed the outcome of their case -  the arbitrator still  “shall have no power to impose any findings.”

• Columbia’s proposal excludes all gender-based claims of discrimination or harassment, including those that are covered by Title IX, from being subject to review through this limited arbitration. Their reasoning for carving such a substantial and critical piece out of grievance and neutral arbitration relies on a flawed argument on the compatibility of arbitration with Title IX regulations, which is discredited by arbitration’s inclusion in numerous other ratified student worker contracts. 

• All other unions at Columbia University have meaningful access to labor arbitration for critical matters, including Title IX cases and other claims of discrimination or harassment.

We have a reading list and FAQ if you are finding the back and forth between SWC and the University confusing.