Hardship Fund for Columbia Student Workers

We’re happy to announce that SWC and Columbia have reached a tentative agreement on a contract, and as of Friday January 7 we have ended our strike. Thank you so much to everyone who donated to the hardship fund over these past ten weeks, your solidarity gave us strength. We are now working to restore lost wages to all those who were on strike. As a condition of ending the strike, Columbia has committed to paying student workers for make up work, but for many of us this may be insufficient to replace the wages we lost while on strike. In addition, some of us face departments hostile to this arrangement, or where it is no longer possible to make up work. This means we still need your support—we have been able to keep workers afloat during the strike but many will be left with unpaid bills and debt. Please donate if you can!

Here are some highlights of our contract:
 

4-year duration

Effective (retroactive) start date of August 1, 2021, and end date of June 30, 2025
Negotiations for a second contract must begin by May 1, 2025

Access to full arbitration or mediation for claims of discrimination and harassment
Non-Title IX EOAA claims may proceed to arbitration either after an EOAA decision, or else after 75 days have elapsed since the EOAA complaint was filed
Title IX EOAA claims must exhaust the EOAA and EOAA appeals process before proceeding to arbitration
All EOAA claims must exhaust the EOAA and EOAA appeals process before proceeding to mediation

Retroactive compensation increases for AY21/22 of no less than 4% for PhD students on and off appointment in most programs, plus an additional 2% bonus intended for Union dues while on appointment (6% total), and subsequent minimum 3% increases for the remaining years of the contract

A summer stipend increase to $5,500 (summer 2022), $6,000 (summer 2023), and 3% increases to summer stipends for the remaining years of the contract ($6,180 in summer 2024, and $6,365 in summer 2025) - extended to 9-month PhD students in GSAS, GSAPP, SIPA, and Journalism
Pay parity: PhD students in the School of Social Work and Mailman School of Public Health will be brought up to the minimum total support of a PhD student in GSAS, SEAS, GSAPP, Journalism, SIPA. Compensation for PhD students in the VP&S Coordinated Doctoral Programs in Biomedical Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the Graduate School of Business will also match these minimum levels.
Retroactive compensation increases in year 1 of no less than 5% or $100, whichever is greater, and 3% increases for the remaining years of the contract, for Master’s students and undergraduate students, non-PhD doctoral students, and PhD students beyond their guaranteed years of support in all programs who hold appointments as Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Preceptors, Readers, Teaching Assistants III, Graduate Research Assistants and Department Research Assistants
Effective upon ratification, minimum hourly rate increases in year 1 to $21 per hour and $0.50 increases for the remaining years of the contract ($21.50 per hour in year 2, $22 per hour in year 3, and $22.50 per hour in year 4)

Student workers will have access to a Student Employee Support Fund starting as soon as possible in the amount of $300,000, increasing $50,000 in year 2 and $25,000 in subsequent years. Rollover of unexpended funds in year 1
Dependents of student workers will have access to their own Student Employee Dependent Support Fund beginning as soon as possible in the amount of $150,000, increasing $25,000 in all subsequent years
75% dental premiums for PhD students (on and off appointment) and their dependents who enroll in the Emblem Preferred Dental Plan. The University will pay an amount equal to the 75% monthly premium cost of the Emblem plan towards the monthly premium cost for those who choose to opt into Aetna or another dental plan
Memorialization of vision benefits for PhD students and their dependents to participate in a vision plan offered to students

Extension of GSAS policy to all PhD programs
One additional semester of funding eligibility for parents who take parental accommodation leave

Extension of GSAS policy to all PhD programs
Child care subsidy increases of $4,500 per child for AY21/22, $5,000 per child for AY22/23, and $5,500 per child for AY24/25
Eligibility expanded to children under the age of 6 and not yet attending kindergarten
Appointment scheduling accommodations for parents

Full recognition according to the exact 2017 NLRB certification decision
Allows for the possibility of explicitly including casual researchers, as well as student workers enrolled at affiliate (and even non-affiliate) institutions

Extension of GSAS policy to all PhD programs
Matriculation and facilities (M&F) charges, health fees, and the international service fee, if applicable, will be covered by the appropriate school for PhD students in all programs who secure external funding of at least two-thirds of their academic year stipend
The appropriate school and department will make reasonable efforts to cover the cost of M&F tuition and related fees for PhD students who secure external funding below two-thirds of their academic year stipend
PhD students who do not secure external funding, but make good-faith efforts, may appeal to the Dean of their school for coverage of tuition and related fees

In circumstances where a student believes that their relationship with their academic advisor is unhealthy, or characterized by discrimination, harassment, other inappropriate behavior, or behavior that violates University policy, the relevant school will provide guaranteed academic advisor-independent transitional funding for up to one full semester

The University will implement an amended EOAA appeals process incorporating a pool of Appellate Officers selected with input from SWC

Schools with PhD programs will identify students whose research plans and opportunities were interrupted or delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide additional resources beyond the funding guaranteed upon admission
A PhD student whose request for support has not been considered or has been denied may appeal the decision to the Dean of the relevant school

Student workers will be placed in the positions for the Spring semester that they would have held had there been no strike
Schools and departments will identify and make available to returning strikers opportunities for make-up work

The University may not hire casual employees in a manner that would undermine the contract

The University will present a bullying / power-based harassment policy to the University Senate by April 2022

Both the Union and the University will make matching contributions of $500 at the start of each semester to the Food Pantry at Columbia

PhD students on appointment in the Fall 2021 semester will receive a lump sum payment of $500, and Master’s and undergraduate students on appointment in the Fall 2021 semester will receive a lump sum payment of $250