On Tuesday, April 28, the University and the Student Workers of Columbia union (SWC) met for a twelfth bargaining session, in person at the Interchurch Center, to continue negotiating the terms of the union’s successor contract.
During the session, the University presented counterproposals on Professional Development, Discipline and Discharge, and Non-Discrimination. SWC again presented the Union Rights and Union Leave and Release Time proposals it put forward on February 27 and advanced revised proposals on Artificial Intelligence and Union Dues and Security and a revised counterproposal on International Student Employees.
The University verbally rejected a number of the union’s new and previously advanced proposals on the ground that they would infringe faculty and University authority over academic or operational matters, in violation of the Framework Agreement, or as not appropriate for a labor agreement because they address student-focused or university-wide issues that are unrelated to or well beyond student employment matters. The parties also engaged in an extensive discussion of SWC’s Artificial Intelligence proposal, during which the University explained why core elements of the union’s demands on the topic improperly would insert the union into faculty and University academic decision-making.
The parties were able to finalize Tentative Agreements on the Employment Files and Training articles on which the parties’ bargaining committees had agreed to language at the last session. Nevertheless, the University and SWC remain far apart on all other major issues.
As previously agreed, the parties will meet again on May 4 and 12, in person at Interchurch.
The University remains committed to reaching a fair, competitive, and sustainable agreement with SWC that benefits all of our student employees and the entire Columbia community.
