Two packages, Danny DeVito, and $26,500
What a week we’ve had! Not only did we have an historic campus-wide shutdown as we entered our 6th week on strike, we’ve received record breaking contributions to our Hardship Fund — over $26.5k since yesterday, and $50k in the last week — from comrades across the globe! Yesterday saw another article in the New York Times on the University’s retaliation efforts, and also in the Guardian. Our Round 3 disbursements will match the generosity that our supporters have shown us so please don’t be shy, apply to the Hardship Fund and we will help you get your needs met. Round 3 closes Friday (tomorrow) at 11:59pm so get your application in ASAP (apply here) and disbursements will go out around December 14th.
At Tuesday's mediation session, we presented an updated full package of proposals, which featured significant changes in compensation, non-discrimination and harassment, insurance, childcare, and other side-letter concerns. In total, these changes reduced the total cost of our proposal by 20%, and offered a significant concession to the University by requiring the EOAA process be complete before Title IX cases are allowed access to neutral investigation by an arbitrator. Every single change was approved by majority vote in caucus on Tuesday (find a working document here). In sum, our proposal continues to prioritize the representation of all student workers recognized by the NLRB and will allow all workers to earn a fair wage, fair benefits, and neutral investigation in cases of harassment. This bargaining committee remains committed to transparency and approval from the unit, and it will not make major decisions without first consulting the student workers it represents.
This package demonstrates that we are -- without question -- bargaining in good faith and that we are willing to make changes designed to reach a settlement as soon as possible while still respecting the reasonable needs of student workers.
Provost Boyce has suggested that the University has made several, considerable concessions over the course of mediation, painting the union as intransigent, having "not moved significantly on any of the core issues on the table." We are impressed with the Provost's pretense of knowing what happens in mediation, as she has never once attended a mediation or bargaining session herself -- a fact evidenced by the many errors riddling her University-wide emails. We are still waiting for the Provost to join us in this important dialogue, rather than engaging in a mass email smear campaign that moves us nowhere closer to a fair contract.
The strike is working. Columbia's recent efforts to intimidate student workers prove that the University is desperate to conclude this strike. Faculty, undergrads, community members, and fellow student workers across the nation see our need for a good contract and have expressed their support. Now, at the end of the semester -- the time when our labor is arguably most visible -- we need to stand firm and show that we will not accept anything less than a contract that is liveable, sustainable, and fair.
Tonight, the university gave us a counter-package of proposals. Notably, the University offered to cover 75% of dental premiums for PhD workers and their dependents (only while on appointment), and accepted the support fund structure we proposed by establishing a fund for both student employees and dependents - a step in our direction. Unfortunately, this was the only economic concession of note, among several minor concessions totalling around $100,000. The University has still not made any reasonable effort to address the cost of living in New York City in the way of an adequate compensation article and they maintain an unwillingness to achieve pay parity. Non-discrimination and Recognition won small improvements, but the University has yet to agree to a neutral investigation for harassment nor to full recognition of our unit.
A week ago the University threatened us with illegal retaliation. They said they would replace our labor if we did not return to work by tomorrow, December 10th. And yet, look at what we’ve accomplished since then. Our strike continues to grow stronger and louder, despite the University administration’s efforts to break us by withholding our wages, spreading mis-information, and illegal and empty threats to the security of our appointments next semester. We have heard from departments across campus that regardless of the University’s intentions, they will refuse to replace our labor for the Spring. We are pursuing every legal avenue to safeguard the rights of student workers to fight for fair working conditions free from retaliation. During Monday’s faculty/staff rally, we heard speeches from allies throughout our community who stand with us. On Wednesday, a supermajority of 87% of student workers on strike indicated their intention and resolve to continue our strike into the next week. Tomorrow, we show the University that we do not feel threatened by their rhetoric, and that we will persevere until we win the contract we deserve. We fully acknowledge the difficulties of this struggle and are with you in the anxiety of the unknown, but we also remain steadfast in the fight for a living wage, full recognition, comprehensive health benefits, and neutral third-party arbitration. This fight is bigger than all of us, and this fight is worth it – and if the University’s panicked disinformation campaign waged over the past couple of weeks is any indication, we are closer to victory than we’ve ever been in the history of student worker unionization at Columbia.
We have another mediation session with Kevin tomorrow at 11:00am following Columbia’s new proposal. You can join mediation on this link and caucus at 10:30am on this link. And don’t forget to join us for the return of Pawlidarity on the picket line on college walk tomorrow at 10:00am! It will be a very cuddly way to end the week.
In solidarity,
Your bargaining committee