Meet our Current Contract

Effective Dates and Duration

• 4-year duration

• Effective (retroactive) start date of August 1, 2021, and end date of June 30, 2025

• Negotiations for a second contract must begin by May 1, 2025

Non-Discrimination

• Access to full arbitration or mediation for claims of discrimination and harassment

• Non-Title IX EOAA claims may proceed to arbitration either after an EOAA decision, or else after 75 days have elapsed since the EOAA complaint was filed

• Title IX EOAA claims must exhaust the EOAA and EOAA appeals process before proceeding to arbitration

• All EOAA claims must exhaust the EOAA and EOAA appeals process before proceeding to mediation

Compensation

• Retroactive compensation increases for AY21/22 of no less than 4% for PhD students on and off appointment in most programs, plus an additional 2% bonus intended for Union dues while on appointment (6% total), and subsequent minimum 3% increases for the remaining years of the contract

  • 12-month appointment minimums (after dues): $43.1k (AY21/22), $44.4k (AY22/23), $45.7k (AY23/24), $47.1k (AY24/25)

  • 9-month appointment minimums (less summer stipends, after dues): $32.3k (AY21/22), $33.3k (AY22/23), $34.3k (AY23/24), $35.3k (AY24/25)

  • PhD students whose compensation is within 1% less than or above the new minimum levels (above) will receive retroactive compensation increases for AY21/22 of no less than 1% when on and off appointment, plus an additional 2% bonus intended for Union dues while on appointment (3% total), and subsequent minimum 3% increases for the remaining years of the contract

• A summer stipend increase to $5,500 (summer 2022), $6,000 (summer 2023), and 3% increases to summer stipends for the remaining years of the contract ($6,180 in summer 2024, and $6,365 in summer 2025) - extended to 9-month PhD students in GSAS, GSAPP, SIPA, and Journalism

• Pay parity: PhD students in the School of Social Work and Mailman School of Public Health will be brought up to the minimum total support of a PhD student in GSAS, SEAS, GSAPP, Journalism, SIPA. Compensation for PhD students in the VP&S Coordinated Doctoral Programs in Biomedical Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Business will also match these minimum levels. 

• Retroactive compensation increases in year 1 of no less than 5% or $100, whichever is greater, and 3% increases for the remaining years of the contract, for Master’s students and undergraduate students, non-PhD doctoral students, and PhD students beyond their guaranteed years of support in all programs who hold appointments as Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Preceptors, Readers, Teaching Assistants III, Graduate Research Assistants and Department Research Assistants

• Effective upon ratification, minimum hourly rate increases in year 1 to $21 per hour and $0.50 increases for the remaining years of the contract ($21.50 per hour in year 2, $22 per hour in year 3, and $22.50 per hour in year 4)

Benefits

• Student workers will have access to a Student Employee Support Fund starting as soon as possible in the amount of $300,000, increasing $50,000 in year 2 and $25,000 in subsequent years. Rollover of unexpended funds in year 1

• Dependents of student workers will have access to their own Student Employee Dependent Support Fund beginning as soon as possible in the amount of $150,000, increasing $25,000 in all subsequent years

• 75% dental premiums for PhD students (on and off appointment) and their dependents who enroll in the Emblem Preferred Dental Plan. The University will pay an amount equal to the 75% monthly premium cost of the Emblem plan towards the monthly premium cost for those who choose to opt into Aetna or another dental plan

• Memorialization of vision benefits for PhD students and their dependents to participate in a vision plan offered to students

Leaves of Absence

• Extension of GSAS policy to all PhD programs

• One additional semester of funding eligibility for parents who take parental accommodation leave

Child Care

• Extension of GSAS policy to all PhD programs

• Child care subsidy increases of $4,500 per child for AY21/22, $5,000 per child for AY22/23, and $5,500 per child for AY24/25

• Eligibility expanded to children under the age of 6 and not yet attending kindergarten 

• Appointment scheduling accommodations for parents

Recognition

• Full recognition according to the exact 2017 NLRB certification decision

• Allows for the possibility of explicitly including casual researchers, as well as student workers enrolled at affiliate (and even non-affiliate) institutions

Matriculation & Facilities Fee/Tuition Waivers Side Letter

• Extension of GSAS policy to all PhD programs

• Matriculation and facilities (M&F) charges, health fees, and the international service fee, if applicable, will be covered by the appropriate school for PhD students in all programs who secure external funding of at least two-thirds of their academic year stipend

• The appropriate school and department will make reasonable efforts to cover the cost of M&F tuition and related fees for PhD students who secure external funding below two-thirds of their academic year stipend

• PhD students who do not secure external funding, but make good-faith efforts, may appeal to the Dean of their school for coverage of tuition and related fees

Transitional Funding for Change of Academic Advisor Situations Side Letter

• In circumstances where a student believes that their relationship with their academic advisor is unhealthy, or characterized by discrimination, harassment, other inappropriate behavior, or behavior that violates University policy, the relevant school will provide guaranteed academic advisor-independent transitional funding for up to one full semester

Amended EOAA Appeals Process Letter of Understanding

• The University will implement an amended EOAA appeals process incorporating a pool of Appellate Officers selected with input from SWC

COVID-19 Funding Extensions Side Letter

• Schools with PhD programs will identify students whose research plans and opportunities were interrupted or delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide additional resources beyond the funding guaranteed upon admission

• A PhD student whose request for support has not been considered or has been denied may appeal the decision to the Dean of the relevant school

Spring 2022 Semester Positions / Back-Work Guarantee Side Letter

• Student workers will be placed in the positions for the Spring semester that they would have held had there been no strike

• Schools and departments will identify and make available to returning strikers opportunities for make-up work

Anti-Casualization Side Letter

• The University may not hire casual employees in a manner that would undermine the contract

Anti-Bullying Policy Side Letter

• The University will present a bullying / power-based harassment policy to the University Senate by April 2022

Food Security Side Letter

• Both the Union and the University will make matching contributions of $500 at the start of each semester to the Food Pantry at Columbia

Ratification Bonus

• PhD students on appointment in the Fall 2021 semester will receive a lump sum payment of $500, and Master’s and undergraduate students on appointment in the Fall 2021 semester will receive a lump sum payment of $250

Major Improvements from the Spring 2021 Tentative Agreement
 

• Full recognition of the entire bargaining unit without arbitrary hourly cut-offs

• Language protecting against casualization

• Access to real, independent arbitration and mediation for all claims of harassment and discrimination, including those that involve Title IX

• Transitional funding program for unhealthy advising situations

• Commitment to the implementation of a University-wide anti-bullying / power-based harassment policy

• Significantly increased compensation for both hourly and appointed workers, including pay parity across schools

• Increased lump-sum ratification bonus

• Improved policies and increased child care subsidies for parents

• M&F tuition and fee policy extension to all schools

• Comprehensive dental insurance coverage

• Significantly increased health fund to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses

• New, separate health fund for dependents of student workers