CONTRACT RATIFICATION PROCEDURAL FAQ

What is a contract ratification vote?

After 365 days of negotiations, Cornell and CGSU-EU negotiators reached a tentative contract agreement on March 25, 2025. This agreement is unanimously endorsed for ratification by the CGSU-UE bargaining committee. Union members will now have time to review the contract, and cast a vote to ratify. 

Where can I find the tentative agreement (TA)? 

The full tentative agreement can be found on  CGSU-UE bargaining tracker, available at this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/162fHHlBNkKPdkt0KS8o5WrE2SM6tUYg5peN_u4nDI3M/edit?usp=sharing 

Who can participate in the ratification vote? 

All union members who have signed a union card (cards can be signed here: https://crm.broadstripes.com/ctf/x0o6kh) can participate in the union ratification vote. This includes fellows. Details regarding the differences between union members and bargaining unit members can be found at the bottom of this page, as well as on the “Membership and Dues” FAQ page. 

Why do members of the union need to sign a new membership card in order to vote in the contract ratification, even if they have signed a card before? 

Many members have already signed union authorization cards, which indicated support for the formation of a graduate worker union at Cornell and were a necessary step in becoming recognized by the NLRB. Now that our union is recognized, established, and is ready to ratify our first contract, we must sign union membership cards, which consist of an agreement to become a member of the now-established CGSU-UE Local 300, pay associated membership dues, and gain the rights to participate in union decision-making going forward, such as contract ratification. 

When is the ratification vote? 

The vote will take place online, starting Tuesday, April 8th (9am) and will remain open until Thursday, April 10 (8pm). 

Under what condition would the contract be ratified? 

The contract is ratified if a simple majority of voters vote in favor of ratification. 

What happens next if the contract is ratified? 

The contract would go into effect once both parties ratify it. From this point on, we will hold Cornell accountable to respecting our contract by enforcing all of the benefits, rights and protections we have received though our grievance procedure and the power of a union. We will also launch the Constitutional Committee, which will be tasked with drafting our Local’s constitution.

What happens next if the contract is not ratified? 

The tentative agreement represents the sum of all of the power we built together since the start of negotiations. Cornell has let us know that the tentative agreement is their final offer. As such, voting against ratifying the agreement means voting for a strike, since no further movement is possible at the bargaining table without strike power.

When will the next contract negotiation take place?

If the current TA goes into effect, it will remain in effect for two years, followed by another round of bargaining to reach a new contract. The current hard-won TA has placed CGSU-UE in a strong position to continue fighting for improvements for graduate workers in future contracts, and there will be many opportunities over the next two years to become involved–especially through forming our first union constitution, and participating in officer elections.

What is the difference between a union member and a member of the bargaining unit? 

The bargaining unit consists of everyone who will be covered under the contract. It automatically includes all graduate students enrolled in Cornell University PhD and Master’s degree programs at the Ithaca, Cornell Tech (Roosevelt Island) and Geneva campuses who receive a stipend from Cornell University to provide teaching or research services, in titles including teaching assistants, research assistants, graduate assistants, and graduate research assistants. Specific exclusions are listed in the recognition clause of the tentative agreement. Members of the bargaining unit do not need to take any proactive action to be included in the bargaining unit. 

Union members are those who sign a union membership card and pay monthly membership dues. The easiest way to do this is to fill out a digital membership/dues authorization form. Union members have the right to vote in union elections, run for union officer and steward positions, attend General Membership Meetings (GMMs), and participate in the decision-making and democracy of our union.

Bargaining unit membership and union membership have large overlaps, but are not functionally identical. Fellows are not currently bargaining unit members. Fellow inclusion in bargaining units is a national fight as they have been excluded by universities across the country. We are continuing to organize to get fellows included in our bargaining unit. The best course of action to get benefits for fellows, even now, is to get the supermajority of fellows on campus to be full union members by signing a union card now. Fellows who are union members can participate in the decision-making and democracy of our union in the same way as bargaining unit members.

Bargaining unit members are not automatically members of the union; they must sign a membership card in order to enjoy union members’ rights to participate in union decision-making. Bargaining unit members who choose not to become union members will pay an agency fee to the union in lieu of membership dues. This fee is equivalent to union dues and covers your fair share of supporting our effort to bargain collectively with our employer and improve and defend our working conditions. Non-member fee-payers forego all rights and benefits of union membership.