Join us Feb. 1 to protest Columbia’s announcement that it will break the law!

In an email sent earlier today to the Columbia community, Provost Coatsworth announced that the University will refuse to bargain with our union. It is an audacious proclamation, showing that the University would rather break the law than to recognize us as workers. That it would rather break the law than respect our democratic mandate. Seeking “review of the status of student assistants by a federal appellate court” is an announcement that the university is now breaking the law by refusing to bargain with our certified union. To get to a court, the University must first wait for us to file a charge against it with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for its failure to bargain – an unfair labor practice. It must then wait for the NLRB to investigate and to issue an Order to Bargain against them. Only then will Columbia have a chance to present its claims to a federal court.

The administration has made themselves clear on where their convictions stand. They are waiting for a President Trump appointed NLRB to take away our collective bargaining rights, to throw away our democratic election and ignore their own principles for democracy.

While it is a deeply disappointing to continue putting legal hurdles in the way of justice, their action merely underscores the need to continue building majority support until they finally respect our choice and start bargaining. It also ignores the growing nature of support here at Columbia and the national momentum for graduate worker unionization.

Join us on the steps of Low Library on Thursday, February 1 at 12PM in response to the Columbia administration’s hypocrisy. They have delayed respecting our democratic choice for over three years now. We are not going to let them delay any longer.

We will also hold multiple general body meetings across the campuses the week of February 12th. Watch your email for more information on rooms and times.

Throughout the past 3 ½ years, we have repeatedly proven to the University that the growing majority of Columbia research and teaching assistants support our union. Just last month, over 2,000 of us signed a petition calling on the university to start bargaining so we can negotiate for real recourse against sexual harassment.

Please join us on Thursday. Despite the administration’s delay tactics we continue to grow stronger together.

Remember to use these hashtags on social media: #WeAreWorkers #CUBargainNOW

In Solidarity,

Graduate Workers of Columbia – UAW Local 2110, Bargaining Committee

Tania Bhattacharyya, History
Ian Bradley-Perrin, Sociomedical Sciences
Olga Brudastova, Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Noura Farra, Computer Science
Trevor Hull, Chemistry
Kate Jackson, Political Science
Rosalie Ray, Urban Planning
Justin Steinfeld, Integrated Program
Takaya Uchida, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Angela Woodall, Communications