The SWC-UAW Bargaining Committee Is Threatening A Strike This Semester

Upper West Side NY

03 October, 2021

12:57 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY TALIA ABRAHAMSON SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 Exasperated by stagnant bargaining talks and recent pay structure changes, the Student Workers of Columbia–United Auto Workers voted 1,804 to 234 to authorize a strike. In doing so, the SWC-UAW has given a mandate to its bargaining committee to initiate a strike, which bargaining members pledge will happen this semester if Columbia does not meet the union's demands. This is the second authorization vote in two years, as the union seeks to maximize its leverage against Columbia to win its first labor contract. The SWC-UAW, which was renamed from Graduate Workers of Columbia–United Auto Workers following a summer of internal reform, surpassed its previous participation in the strike authorization vote by 128 members. Although the percentage of "yes" votes decreased from 96 percent to 88.5 percent of valid ballots, the SWC-UAW needed only a two-thirds majority of voters for approval. The bargaining committee views the vote as a sign of strength and shared vision, especially after internal divisions narrowly brought the rejection of a tentative contract, which had been reached through the spring strike. The union's priority––which Columbia has refused for more than two years of negotiations––remains winning arbitration for nondiscrimination and harassment. Student-workers are also organizing against what they consider a retaliatory 0-percent raise, instead of the usual 3-percent, and a last-minute change to pay structures, which left some of those on nine-month appointments with a $8,000 shortfall at the start of the semester. Columbia maintains that both sides can negotiate these differences at the bargaining table. "Union bargaining committees historically seek—and get—a strike authorization vote at the beginning of bargaining. While we acknowledge the union's right to strike, a fair contract can be achieved without a strike and through good faith bargaining," a University spokesperson said. "The bargaining process has only recently restarted and deserves a reasonable opportunity to show progress." Like many of his colleagues on the bargaining committee, Nadeem Mansour, a fourth-year doctoral student in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies, believes that this time, the union is in an even stronger position to force concessions from Columbia at the bargaining table. The union's strength derives from its ability to disrupt University operations. Now that the University initiated return-to-campus policies, the SWC-UAW is planning more in-person pickets. The last strike, which lasted three weeks, existed mostly along digital pickets. "This time, we have thousands and thousands of students on campus," Mansour said. "It will be very visible all around campus with more participation from others and with the focus on making the message very clear and much more visible and impactful." Another potential advantage for the union is Columbia's growing troubles in finding teaching assistants for courses, according to bargaining member Lilian Coie, a sixth-year doctoral student in neurobiology and behavior. By restricting fall 2021 first-year doctoral admissions to most humanities and social science departments, Columbia has a shortage of qualified instructors, which means that course staffing has been a delicate balance for some departments. Added onto that is the class of 2025 enrollment bump and the discussions over greater undergraduate enrollment expansion. Coie said that SWC-UAW student-workers are needed more than ever, especially due to these cost-saving measures. "You have more students with fewer TAs," Coie said. "That makes their labor that much more valuable, which is only beneficial to us." Student-workers were not given a raise this fall, which Coie said generated even more pro-union sentiment. Then-interim Provost Ira Katznelson warned in a May 6 email that, after student-workers rejected the previous tentative agreement, "stipend levels and hourly compensation remain stuck at current levels" until the union negotiated a contract. In response, on Sept. 27, the SWC-UAW filed an unfair labor practice charge, calling it illegal to discontinue an established benefit during contract negotiations. The bargaining committee's hope is that, regardless of the outcome of the unfair labor practice charge, student-workers will win back their pay. Other large, union demands include a $300,000 health care fund, comprehensive dental and vision care, unit recognition in accordance with National Labor Relations Board certification, and increased compensation. "The goal of all of the organizers is to have a contract by the end of this semester and to have that contract be backdated to start Aug. 31," Coie said. Members of the unit have complained about the lack of progress in bargaining. Columbia's bargaining committee, which also includes outside legal counsel Bernard Plum, has refused to negotiate on open articles until the SWC-UAW presents a complete package of proposals. The SWC-UAW sent a policy package during a bargaining session on Sept. 30. For the union, this feels similar to last time, when Columbia saved some of its main concessions until the final week of mediation after a pause in the strike. For the current bargaining committee and 1,804 student workers, it has become evident that the threat of a strike is the way to make progress. "Nobody likes to go on strike," Mansour said. "We're doing this because we have to, because Columbia is pushing us to do this. Being able to get this number in this short time––less than two weeks––is impressive and encouraging and proves to us that we can push forward and hope to get a good contract this semester." Deputy News Editor Talia Abrahamson can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter at @ColumbiaSpec. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.