Bargaining Session 9
On Friday, March 20, the University and the Student Workers of Columbia union (SWC) met for the ninth time in the last year, in person at the Interchurch Center, to continue negotiations on the union’s successor contract. At the union’s insistence, the session comprised a series of presentations by SWC. The presentations’ structure precluded any real back-and-forth discussion, so the parties were unable to make progress.
Most of the meeting involved SWC running through, without active negotiation, 12 of its proposals that the union had delivered in the closing minutes of the February 27 bargaining session and had not previously discussed in negotiations – six of which involved new subjects not included in the now-expired first contract and another four of which contained extensive and material changes from the corresponding articles in the prior contract. SWC openly acknowledged that several of these proposals would exert direct union control and influence over significant academic decisions and student matters, rather than being driven by employment concerns.
SWC initially refused to permit any questions or responses from the University concerning the proposals, avoiding dialogue and, in check-the-box fashion, ensuring the union could say it spoke about each of its proposals at a bargaining session. The union then allowed questions, but said it would defer answering them until the end of the session and ultimately did not offer responses.
Also at the session, the University put forward counterproposals on Grievance and Arbitration and Non-Discrimination, which were not meaningfully discussed, while the union offered a counterproposal on Benefits.
SWC has tentatively agreed to meet again on April 8, in person at Interchurch, and the University looks forward to receiving answers to its questions and being able to engage in a two-way negotiation at that session. The University has proposed additional bargaining sessions on April 13 and 28 and May 4 and 12. The union asked the University to reserve space at Interchurch on those dates but has not firmly committed to attending. The University also offered to identify additional dates for bargaining, if the union would entertain meeting in other rooms at Interchurch to facilitate scheduling, although the union declined.
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.