Columbia’s Offer to SWC Union

Dear Colleagues,

As we updated you last week, the University continues to hope that the Student Workers of Columbia union (SWC) will join us at the bargaining table to negotiate a successor agreement to the contract that is due to expire on June 30. The University has provided the union with a complete set of non-economic contract proposals as well as proposals on benefits, to which they have not responded. Today, following a fourth consecutive scheduled bargaining session that the union failed to attend (details available here), we have taken the significant step of proactively making the union an offer on compensation.

Even in this period of funding uncertainty, as colleagues across the University are facing extremely difficult decisions, we recognize the importance of supporting our talented student employees and the important contributions they make. Columbia must continue to attract the best young talent in all fields to ensure our teaching and research mission for tomorrow. That is why we have put forward a compensation proposal that will anchor a total package that is strong, competitive, and fair. You can read the University’s compensation offer here.

Although the offer will require many of the University’s academic units to stretch significantly to fund, we believe it is the right thing to do and that it will serve well both the more than 3,000 student employees the SWC represents and the Columbia community as a whole. It competitively raises Columbia’s compensation and other support to the range of our peer institutions, whose packages have moved upward since the first SWC contract was reached in academic year 2021-22. Given what we now have put on the table for those the union represents, it is our sincere hope that the union will join us in negotiations with the seriousness, collegiality, and constructiveness that they require, especially in this critical moment for the institution.

Highlights of the University’s offer include, among other things:

• Parity between the 9-month and 12-month cohorts, by compensating all fully funded PhD students based on the same 12-month rate, a 15% increase for those on 9-month appointments during the academic year who currently receive summer stipend support. This has long been a key issue for the union, and we agree that it is fair and will strengthen the University’s ability to continue attracting top student talent.

• A ratified contract by July 1 will achieve parity through an immediate adjustment for those in the 9-month cohort for July and August that will supplement the summer stipend they already received. PhD student employees currently finishing academic year 2024-2025 12-month appointments will receive an immediate 2% adjustment to the salary they will receive in July and August.

• For the 2025-2026 academic year, 12-monthy salary minimums increase 2% from the 2024-2025 academic year to $49,042 during guaranteed years of support. Minimum annual support for student employees on 9-month appointments will increase 15%, to an annual minimum of $48,802.

• In addition, all fully funded PhD students who are not on appointment will receive an annualized stipend of $48,080, a 2% increase in the current off-appointment support for the 12-month cohort and a 15.3% increase in the current off-appointment support for the 9-month cohort.
• These increases, at a time of pay freezes across the University, will apply during the 2025-2026 academic year for PhD student employees in GSAS, SEAS, VP&S Coordinated Doctoral Programs in Biomedical Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Business, Mailman School, GSAPP, Journalism, SIPA, and School of Social Work. Further pay increases in subsequent years of the contract will be negotiated during further bargaining.

• A minimum 2% increase in compensation for other student employees represented by the SWC during academic year 2025-2026, with further pay increases in subsequent years of the contract to be negotiated during further bargaining.
• $0 premium health insurance for funded PhD students and their dependents, a rare benefit among peer universities.
• A 75% University contribution to dental plan premiums for funded PhD student employees and their dependents, and available vision coverage.
• A Student Employee Support Fund increased to $425,000 per year to reimburse out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses, plus a Student Employee Dependent Support Fund totaling $225,000 per year to reimburse dependents’ out-of-pocket health expenses.
• An increase to $5,750/year of the child care subsidy for each child under age six, among other support for PhD student employee parents.
• Continued guaranteed student housing for PhD students for five academic years.

Additional information about the University’s proposals and our efforts to advance negotiations is available under the Current Negotiations tab of the Student Benefits website.

We remain committed to meeting in good faith with the union to reach an agreement before June 30. We are hopeful the SWC will come to the table focused on the issues central to a successor contract and the well-being of the student employees it represents – wages, benefits support, and other issues related to their employment. We are eager to work with the union to finalize the details of this offer, and we are all focused on the well-being of the student employees who are partners in our teaching and research mission. That is why we want to finalize as soon as possible a fair, competitive, and responsible successor contract that serves all of our student employees and the whole Columbia community.

Sincerely,

Amy Hungerford, Dean and Executive Vice President, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Cas Holloway, Chief Operating Officer