Columbia Obstructs: We Plan a Strike
Columbia will not accede to our demands without a fight, and recent developments have made it clear that we must take action.
We are gearing up for a strike authorization vote (SAV) in September. A strong SAV presents a credible threat, and will help show our unit’s strength and determination to win our demands. Please fill out this form (~30 sec) to share your position on an SAV.
UPDATE & CONTEXT
Bargaining was set to resume on Wednesday, 8/25, primarily to discuss the University’s threat to keep the rank and file out of bargaining sessions. The Bargaining Committee’s aim was to decry the University’s unilateral stipend structure change and its inadequate reopening plan, both of which they have refused to bargain over so far. However, in response to the growing energy of our union, Columbia blocked entrance into the meeting to some members of the bargaining team, and all rank-and-file members who attempted to join - over 60 people.
This is on Columbia! As your elected bargaining committee, we strictly support open bargaining and will not participate in closed bargaining of any kind.
Our meeting was followed by a caucus where the BC and unit members collectively drafted an email response to the University emphasizing the importance of open bargaining with no limit on the number of observers present.
NEXT STEPS
Columbia routinely violates labor laws, but was formerly shielded by the anti-union Trump NLRB. Biden has now changed the NLRB appointees, and we have met with UAW lawyers and are moving forward on charges.
The reopening plan has raised serious concerns for many in the unit. Columbia’s team, who refused to meet with us all summer, should have bargained over these issues already. We are now sending Columbia a proposal listing our demands concerning reopening including the following: mask mandates, testing frequency, quarantine requirements, continued payments for workers unable to attend in person (visa reasons, quarantine, risk of exposure to covid), the ability to work and attend classes remotely, and class sizes.
The Bargaining and Organizing Committees decided to open an SAV on September 15th. We must be ready to take direct action when necessary to get Columbia to move. Let’s all organize and spread the word to our colleagues.
SAV NOTICE
The bargaining committee is hereby announcing a call for a Strike Authorization Vote:
Eligible voters will be Columbia graduate and undergraduate students who have signed a GWC-UAW authorization card and are currently employed by the university, previously employed by the university, or expect to be employed by the university in one of the categories outlined by the NLRB decision (i.e. graduate and undergraduate Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Preceptors, Course Assistants, Readers, Graders, Graduate Research Assistants [including those on Training Grants], and All Departmental Research Assistants). If you meet the above criteria and have not signed up for the Union previously, you would be able to do so at the polls, or here, in order to vote.
The vote will start on Wednesday September 15th at 9:00 am EDT and end on Monday September 27th at 5:00 PM EDT, via electronic and in-person voting.
We will send out another notice with scheduled GBMs and Town Halls to discuss the SAV, strike strategy, and how we win our demands.