Wow, a GREAT contract that shows that collective bargaining works to raise living conditions for workers. Here's what made me laugh:The deal brings the Student Workers of Columbia, an affiliate of the United Auto Workers Local 2110, closer to a new contract after months of tense negotiations and 10 weeks of picketing that resulted in the cancellation of some classes. It is the second agreement the union will be voting on after an earlier deal was rejected by members last spring.
“This really shows the power of democratic union politics,” said Johannah King-Slutzky, a union member and doctoral student in Columbia’s English department. “We had a tentative agreement before that for some of our members would have been an effective pay cut. We had to be more inclusive and fight harder.”
The four-year deal, covering more than 5,000 workers, guarantees minimum annual raises of 3 percent. It features workplace protections, including the right to neutral third-party arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination — a sticking point during negotiations.
The contract secures pay increases of up to 30 percent, comprehensive dental coverage and higher child-care stipends. It also establishes a $300,000 fund for out-of-pocket medical expenses and another similar fund for dependents.
Proud of it? What a load of bullshit. If they were PROUD of this agreement, they would have recognized the union in the first place, and negotiated a living wage contract WITHOUT a crippling 10-week strike! That's just them trying to put a good face on a huge embarrassment.“We are proud of this agreement, which would make Columbia a leader in higher education on a long list of issues affecting student employees,” Columbia Provost Mary C. Boyce said in a campuswide letter Friday. “There is no doubt that this has been a challenging period for the University, yet all who were involved in collective bargaining shared the common goal of creating a stronger Columbia.”
The university just wanted cheap labor.