The purpose of the mediation session on Wednesday was to give us a clearer understanding of the flexibility of the university on our four main concerns: compensation, health insurance, recognition, and neutral arbitration. The main takeaway however, was that the university is at present unwilling to make concrete concessions beyond what they have previously signalled. 

We hope this email finds you and your loved ones well and safe, and that these days come with much needed rest and quality time with them. 

We just got notified for a mediation session today. The session with the mediator will begin at 12.30, with caucus at 12.00. We look forward to seeing you there!

Today we had our first caucus with mediator Kevin Flanigan. He came prepared with specific questions about our history, our current demands, and our vision for moving forward.

We are entering into mediation on strong footing - on our terms, with our choice of mediator, with a strong strike (the largest in the country) - and remain optimistic about negotiations moving forward. The University agreed to proceed with Kevin Flanigan as our mediator.

The Bargaining Committee and the University have agreed to meet to interview our choice for mediator Kevin Flanigan, as well as the university’s choice of joint mediators Carol A. Wittenberg and Damali Peterman.

Yesterday’s bargaining session was short, but revealing. We reiterated our determination to defend SWC members against unlawful threats of retaliation for exercising our legal right to strike. We reminded the university that we are striking in part because Columbia has repeatedly committed unfair labor practices, including the imposition of a wage freeze in retaliation for rejecting the spring TA and unilaterally changing the way student workers’ wages are disbursed. This means student workers are not only protected from being fired or disciplined for going on strike, but also cannot have their labor permanently replaced.

Just one week after beginning our strike, the university has already made improvements on their initial proposal (after weeks of insisting that they had no more to give).

Yesterday’s session was one of our most productive yet and speaks to the power of our strike.

Yesterday, both Deans Alonso and Kachani were present at bargaining, where the university made hesitant gestures towards progress.

This is a reminder that our last scheduled bargaining session with Columbia before our strike deadline will take place at 12pm today.

Today—as our strike deadline of Wednesday, November 3 at 12:01 AM looms—the university once again neglected to adequately address our union's needs. However, the threat of an imminent strike did spur some small movement towards meeting our contract priorities.

Over the two sessions of bargaining this past week, we got both promising news for the future of our movement and a stark reminder of the brutality of our fight.

This is a reminder that we will have a virtual General Body Meeting tonight (Wednesday), 10/20 at 6 PM EDT. This is a crucial moment for us. We will decide on a strike deadline as Columbia continues to refuse to negotiate. We encourage everyone to attend and participate! Come and invite your fellow student workers!

We will have a virtual General Body Meeting this coming Wednesday, 10/20 at 6 PM EDT. This is a crucial moment for us. We will decide on a strike deadline as Columbia continues to refuse to negotiate. We encourage everyone to attend and participate! Come and invite your fellow student workers!

Today’s bargaining session was an opportunity for the University to offer counter proposals to the package the BC dropped last week. Columbia did not present a single counter proposal. Instead, they opened with their usual monologue that the rejected TA already qualified as a compromise for the University.

Today concluded the presentation of our new package of proposals to Columbia’s team. After discussing compensation and recognition a week ago, and healthcare last Tuesday, we presented our proposals concerning non-discrimination and harassment, as well as union dues.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Strike Authorization Vote -- we had a tremendous turn out and look forward to hearing everyone’s perspective at tonight’s town hall on building a strike plan.