Our organizing meeting this week got to enjoy leftover coffee and cookies from the Bargaining Committee’s town halls! Here’s what we talked about:

Organizing on Campus and in the Community

In the past week, the Bargaining Committee has held town halls with Communications, SIPA, the Lamont campus, STEM, and undergrads and Master’s students to discuss their initial bargaining goals for our first contract with Columbia (goal highlights here). The International Students Working Group (ISWG) has continued to support students affected by the travel ban in demanding that Columbia provide them the support they need to complete their degrees while also organizing around international student housing issues at Columbia. If you have been affected by the travel ban and would like GWC’s support in accessing resources and assistance from Columbia, please contact ISWG.

GWC was also present at some big events on campus last week: we introduced admitted students to their future TAs and graders at Days on Campus, reminded female alums that anti-worker means anti-women at the 30th Anniversary Alumni Women’s Conference, and led the audience at Professor Eric Foner’s retirement party in song as President Bollinger took the stage. Beyond Morningside Heights, we met with Congresspeople Grace Meng, Jose Serrano, Jerry Nadler, and Caroline Maloney.

Getting out the Vote on our Initial Bargaining Goals

Our vote to ratify our Bargaining Committee’s initial bargaining goals by email continues this week until 5 pm on Sunday! Please vote: search for the subject line “Vote on GWC Initial Bargaining Goals” in your inbox, or fill out this form if you didn’t receive an email ballot. We’ll also be phone banking from noon to 6 pm on Thursday, April 27, in the History graduate student lounge if you’d like to help get out the vote across campus.

Supporting Accessible Gender-Inclusive Restrooms on Campus

Columbia’s Libraries are leading the charge to convert single-gender restrooms to gender-neutral facilities in Butler Library, and reviews are also being done for possible gender-neutral restrooms in Mudd. GWC organizers have strongly supported this campaign for Columbia to increase the number of accessible gender-neutral restrooms on campus.

Celebrating and Protesting on International Labor Day (May 1!)

If you’d like to show your solidarity with fellow workers this May Day, GWC organizers have suggestions for a number of events you can attend: Supporting Construction Workers’ rally at Jewish Theological Seminary, B&H Photo Video’s rally in Midtown, the Mayday Festival of Resistance at Maria Hernandez Park, and the May Day March and Rally at Union Square Park, Washington Square Park, and at Foley Square later in the evening. Although GWC isn’t organizing these events, they’re great opportunities to march alongside other workers in New York and worldwide.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 3, at 6 pm at the Black Building uptown.