On Tuesday, May 12, the University and the Student Workers of Columbia union (SWC) met for a fourteenth bargaining session, in person at the Interchurch Center, to continue negotiating the terms of the union’s successor contract. Once again, very little progress was made.
During the session, the University presented revised counterproposals on Non-Discrimination and Union Management Committee. SWC put forward a revised proposal on Surveillance and Monitoring and new counterproposals on Professional Development and Discipline and Discharge. The parties discussed the proposals during the session but did not arrive at any tentative agreements on contract language.
As in prior sessions, the University again pointed to the substantial number of union proposals that the University has rejected as inconsistent with the Framework Agreement for encroaching on academic or operational decision-making or as otherwise inappropriate for a labor contract. SWC reaffirmed that it was not willing to withdraw any of those proposals.
SWC stated that it will put the University’s most recent Holidays proposal, presented at the April 8, 2026, bargaining session, to a vote of the union’s membership as a Tentative Agreement. Beyond that, the University and SWC remain far apart on all other remaining major issues.
The University has proposed additional bargaining sessions on June 3 and 16 at Interchurch and is awaiting the union’s confirmation of the additional bargaining dates.
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.
