Strike Timeline at a Glance

 
 

What is a strike?

A strike is our final tool to win a first union contract that meets the needs of Cornell graduate workers, provides us with fair pay raises and healthcare benefits, and protects us from unjust discipline.

A strike means that all graduate workers will stop 100% of their work for Cornell, academic or otherwise, including research and teaching duties because Cornell continues to deny graduate workers basic workplace protections and benefits. 

What would we strike for?

We are striking for union shop and just cause. We are striking for better wages and healthcare benefits that include dental and vision care. We are striking so that Cornell provides access to transportation for all and covers the disproportionate fees international workers face. 

Why is striking necessary? Is striking inevitable?

A strike is not inevitable; Cornell can end negotiations at any time by offering us a fair contract.

If we strike, it is because Cornell has refused to give graduate workers a fair union contract. With Cornell dragging their feet at the bargaining table for months, a strike is our last resort and our best tool to get the University to move on key issues within a reasonable time frame.

Where does our leverage over the university come from?

Our research labor earns Cornell millions of dollars in grant funding per year; our teaching labor educates thousands of tuition-paying students; and our presence earns the University prestige. Striking puts Cornell’s economic bottom line and reputation at risk and pressures them to work towards a fair contract at the negotiating table.

How long will the strike last?

We hope that a strike never comes. Cornell has the money and power to avert a strike at any time they choose. The length of strikes varies depending on how many workers go on strike and how many issues are left on the bargaining table. Recent grad worker strikes have ranged from several hours (Washington State University)  to several months (University of Michigan). Maximizing our economic and public relations impact with every graduate worker stopping their work will ensure as short a strike as possible.

Who is going on strike?

All graduate students who provide research and instructional services to the University.

What is the process for authorizing a strike?

First, a majority of graduate workers must sign a “strike pledge” indicating their willingness to go on strike. A supermajority of workers sends a message that we are ready to do what it takes to win a strong contract. If the University continues to stall negotiations, we will hold a membership-wide Strike Authorization Vote (SAV). After the SAV passes, the bargaining committee will determine whether and when to begin the strike based on how negotiations proceed.

WHO CAN SIGN THE STRIKE PLEDGE?

All graduate students who provide research and instructional services to the University. This includes fellows, those in absentia, and those who are externally funded.

Who will vote in the Strike Authorization Vote?

All card signing members regardless of bargaining unit position including fellows, masters students etc.

How will the strike end?

The rank-and-file membership decides when to stop striking through a contract ratification vote. The constituency of this vote will be the same as the Strike Authorization Vote. Bargaining continues throughout the strike until our bargaining committee reaches a tentative agreement with Cornell on the full contract and recommends it to the membership for the ratification vote. This membership vote will ratify the contract and the end of the strike. 

What are my rights during a strike? Can I be punished for striking?

Under labor law, your right to strike is protected and you cannot be fired for striking. There is also safety and power in numbers; Cornell cannot punish all 3000+ grad workers. 

In the unlikely event that you are retaliated against for your strike participation, you should immediately contact your CGSU department organizer or send an email with any relevant details to bc@cornellgradunion.org.

Is it safe for international workers to strike?

Yes. International workers have all the same worker rights and protections as US citizens. International workers make up 50% of our bargaining unit. If we strike, we will be going on strike together, and Cornell cannot retaliate against all of us.

Will striking affect my visa? Will it affect future visas?

There is very little risk of a strike affecting visas. It is legal to engage in strike activity and this should not affect your visa status.

Your visa is connected to your status as a student not your status as an employee. International student visas can only be revoked if a student is dismissed from the university. It would be illegal retaliation to dismiss a student on the basis of their protected union activity. 

Any threat, direct or implied, by Cornell that visa status could be impacted by a strike may well be used as a form of intimidation to weaken CGSU solidarity or break our strike. CGSU-UE is aware of no cases in the United States in which an international graduate worker has had their visa status revoked as a consequence of participating in a legally-protected strike.

If Cornell attempted to revoke international students’ visas, it would seriously damage its prospects for recruiting international graduate students and undergraduates alike. This is why international students have been at the center of many graduate worker strikes in other universities. In any case, the revocation of any student’s visa could not happen immediately.

Any legal action that Cornell might take against striking workers would be an attack on CGSU-UE as an entire organization. In the unlikely event that Cornell pursued legal action against individual CGSU members, including International graduate workers — CGSU and our parent union, the United Electric Workers (UE), would throw all our resources into fighting against such deplorable and unethical actions. We also believe this would create tremendous outrage amongst our faculty allies and the wider higher education sector in the United States.

Will I get paid while on strike? 

Cornell is CHOOSING to withhold our pay in case of a strike; some universities have withheld pay for striking workers, while other strikes are short enough that the university does not do so. We are fighting for a living wage precisely because many of us cannot afford to miss a paycheck. A maximally effective strike will result in settling the contract in a minimal amount of time. We will negotiate for back pay once the contract goes into effect, alleviating some economic hardship. If pay and benefits are withheld, we will fight for a return to work agreement that addresses any consequences of the strike. In individual cases, we will have a hardship fund to help cover some necessary expenses.

How should we prepare financially?

We are launching a strike fund with the support of UE National and our peer UE grad shops, to ensure that we are prepared for a possible work stoppage. Contributions to this fund are welcome from anyone and in any amount. We encourage you to circulate the strike fund to your larger personal and professional network. We will always support and stand in solidarity with each other. 

What if I work with animals or other live test subjects?

The best way to minimize harm is to plan ahead as much as possible, for example by contacting staff who would be taking care of animals in your absence in advance and ensuring your work is as well-labeled as possible. Think about what you would do if there were emergencies or you were on vacation. Weigh redoing an experiment against a living wage, just cause, a discrimination and harassment-free workplace, better healthcare and benefits. The university is also responsible for maintaining animal welfare and it does not ultimately rest on you. However, if your strike plans involve having lab staff handle things in your absence, make sure you are only leaving them essential things to maintain so they are not overworked.

Preparing for a strike will look a little different for everyone depending on your research and the animals you work with. If you have additional questions about managing animal care with a strike, please contact bc@cornellgradunion.org. 

What is union shop?

Union shop is a contract mechanism that ensures universal membership and ensures that everyone pays their fair share, forming the base of the strength and longevity of our union.

Union shop includes two important pieces. First, union shop allows for universal membership, meaning that all grad workers can become members. Since everyone is covered by the contract, the most fair provision is one where everyone is a member and has a say. All grad workers should have a say in their working conditions and the contract that will affect them. This is why we formed a union and why universal membership is so important to ensure the most democratic union possible.

Further, by providing a pathway to universal membership, union shop creates a lasting union structure and stable membership. This gives us the security and longevity to enforce our contract and fight for a stronger second contract.

Second, union shop ensures that every grad worker pays their fair share. This is practical because we need leverage, resources, and organized support to enforce our contract. Union shop ensures everyone pays their fair share as a condition of employment. Since every grad worker, regardless of member status, benefits from a strong union contract, it is only fair that every grad worker pays their fair share. Everyone contributes, and everyone benefits.

Ultimately, union shop ensures the strength and longevity of our union by allowing for universal membership and ensuring that every grad worker pays their fair share into our contract.

HOW COMMON IS UNION SHOP?

All other unions on Cornell’s campus have union shop. Union shop is standard for grad shops (MIT, Northwestern, UChicago, Stanford, JHU, USC, etc). Union shops have stronger contracts, higher wages, and better workplace protections.

Have a question that isn’t answered here? Get in touch at bc@cornellgradunion.org.