Union Representation

Dear Cornell graduate students and faculty,

In April, Cornell’s President and Provost were pleased to share that the university reached a first collective bargaining agreement with Cornell Graduate Student Workers United – United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (CGSU-UE). A hallmark of this agreement was the inclusion of a Union Security Article that provided graduate student workers three options to engage with the union: joining the union and paying dues; paying the union an agency fee in lieu of joining and dues; or, for students with a religious (including moral or ethical) objection to joining the union, making a charitable contribution of an equivalent amount.

This Union Security Article ensured that Cornell’s core values were upheld and students with deeply held beliefs could make decisions about whether to formally join the union with the understanding that they had a financial commitment with any option.

We are dismayed to learn that that in preparation for the implementation of this Article, the Union sent emails and text messages to graduate student workers that exclude any mention of the negotiated option for a charitable contribution in lieu of union dues or agency fees. These communications incorrectly state that all members of the bargaining unit – meaning all graduate students represented by the CGSU-UE – have only two options: paying the union dues or an agency fee. Those communications misrepresent the parties’ agreement that eligible graduate student workers may elect to make charitable deductions in lieu of union dues or agency fees. 

Today, the university responded to the CGSU-UE’s decision to unilaterally implement a dues collection process at odds with the parties’ agreement. Please take time to read the university’s response to fully understand the seriousness of this situation.

The university has taken painstaking steps to try to engage in meaningful discussions with the union on this very important topic. Those steps include thoughtful correspondence seeking the union’s engagement and the creation of a sample form that captures the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s language regarding the charitable contribution option. Unfortunately, the university’s efforts to date have been rebuffed by the union.

Despite these best efforts by the university, the union is preventing graduate student workers with religious, moral, or ethical objections from exercising their rights under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. As such, the university cannot properly implement the Union Security Article. Because all graduate student workers have not been given the opportunity to freely elect the charitable contribution option, the university is unable to collect and remit membership dues and agency fees at this time.

We are hopeful the situation can be quickly addressed to avoid any further disruption. The university remains committed to meeting with the union.

If you wish to read the university’s full statement, the charitable contribution form proposed by the university, or the Parties’ prior communications on this topic, please see the link here.

For more information on the Union Security Article, and the charitable contribution option, please see the Union Security Frequently Asked Questions here.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston
Senior Director, Staff and Labor Relations

An update for members of the bargaining unit, sent May 2, 2025:

It has come to our attention that many graduate student workers have questions about how to exercise their contractual rights under the union security article of the new collective bargaining agreement, which allows students to elect one of three options – payment of union dues, an agency fee, or a charitable contribution due to religious objection, which includes moral and ethical objection. The union is developing this process and when shared with the university, will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

In the meantime, please be assured that New York labor law and the university’s own policies require a written authorization to deduct monies from wages. Therefore, unless a graduate student has authorized a deduction for union dues from their stipend in writing, no monies will be deducted.

An update for members of the bargaining unit, sent April 23, 2025:

Last week, we provided a message to our community about the Union Security article in the CGSU-UE contract. The message explained that this contract article allows students to choose between three options: join the union and pay dues, elect to not join the union and pay an agency fee, or make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or an agency fee, based upon the student’s religious objection, which includes moral or ethical objection.  

We also emphasized that students will need to complete a form to elect their choice among these options. Consistent with New York state law and university practice, deductions from wages must be authorized in advance by the recipient of the wages. No one will be auto-enrolled in an option.

On Monday, April 21, the university’s labor management committee met with representatives of CGSU-UE and discussed the contract implementation. The University reported that the ratification bonus will be paid in the April 30 check, parental leave has been increased to 12 weeks, graduate student workers are now eligible for a OmniRide bus pass from the Transportation Office and the time off provisions in the contract are now in effect.

We asked the union for information on their roll-out of the dues deductions, agency fees and provisions for charitable contributions in the contract. The union reported that this process is still being developed. We mentioned that students have brought their questions about this process to us and they asked that graduate student workers reach out to the union directly at communications@cornellgradunion.org.

An update for members of the bargaining unit, sent April 18, 2025:

Dear doctoral students,

I am writing to share information about the processes that will be used to implement the Union Security article in the collective bargaining agreement and in response to questions we have received on this topic from a number of graduate students. The implementation process for the newly-ratified collective bargaining agreement is now underway, but none of the parts of the Union Security article have been implemented yet. 

The Union Security article states that students may choose between three options: join the union and pay dues, elect to not join the union and pay an agency fee, or make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or an agency fee, based upon the student’s religious objection, which includes moral or ethical objection. Students will need to complete a form to elect their choice among these options, and they will not be auto-enrolled in any option until that process is complete.

The university’s labor management committee and the implementation phase of the agreement are described in the tentative agreement package, on page 8. Section 3 provides that on ratification, the labor management committee will oversee the implementation of the agreement, a gradual process that could last until July 1. Members of the labor management committee include Laurie Johnston, senior director of Staff and Labor Relations; Mimi Townsend, project manager for Staff and Labor Relations; and Jason Kahabka, associate dean in the Graduate School.

The labor management committee is holding its first meeting with the union on Monday, April 21, at which point the topic of the implementation of the union security language will be discussed. After that meeting, we anticipate that we will have more information to share about the timing of implementation and how students can signal their choice with respect to union membership and payment of dues, fees, or a charitable contribution.

Sincerely,

Kathryn J. Boor

Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

An update for members of the bargaining unit, sent April 11, 2025:

CGSU-UE contract ratified

An update for faculty and members of the bargaining unit, sent March 25, 2025:

The contract is available online, and members of the bargaining unit should familiarize themselves with the document and its terms.

Cornell and CGSU-UE are jointly working on the implementation of the contract and are actively meeting to address these issues expeditiously. When the university has information to share, it will be sent by email to members of the bargaining unit and posted to this page.

There are no negotiated consequences for failing to select an option in the union security clause. The contract is available online, and members of the bargaining unit should familiarize themselves with the document and its terms.

The union is the most appropriate source for information.  Such questions can be directed here: communications@cornellgradunion.org.

The Union Security Clause – in the collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) between the university and the union (CGSU-UE) – requires that you do one (1) of following three (3) options:

• Join the union and pay union dues on a monthly basis;
• Do not join the union and pay the union an agency fee, which will be an amount set by the union in accordance with applicable law up to the equivalent of union dues; or
• If you have a sincerely held religious belief (which includes moral and ethical beliefs) that prevents you from joining and maintaining membership in CGSU-UE, (i) advise the Union of your religious (including moral or ethical) objection; (ii) make monthly charitable contribution to a charity listed in the CBA; and (iii) show proof to the union of having made the contributions to charity in the amount of membership dues on a monthly basis.

Generally, to pay initiation fees and union dues, you can either (i) sign an authorization form permitting the university to deduct dues from your paycheck; or (ii) pay the monthly dues amount directly to the union. If you have questions or want more information on the dues paying process, please contact the union.

Generally, to pay agency fees, you can either (i) sign an authorization form permitting the university to deduct agency fees from your paycheck; or (ii) pay the monthly agency fees amount directly to the union. If you have questions or want more information on the agency fee paying process, please contact the union.

If you have a sincerely held religious belief as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) that prohibits you from joining and maintaining membership in a union, including CGSU-UE, the CBA permits you to elect to pay the amount equivalent to initiation fees and monthly dues to charity, in lieu of payments to the union.

Under the CBA, sincerely held religious beliefs must be consistent with the EEOC’s definition. That definition includes moral and ethical beliefs and does not require that (i) the belief is held by an established religion or religious group; or (ii) the religion or religious group that you might belong to accepts such belief. 

If you hold such belief that prohibits you from joining and maintaining membership in a union – including CGSU-UE – you are eligible to make charitable contributions in lieu of union dues or agency fees. 

All you are required to do under the CBA is:

• Hold a sincerely held religious belief as defined by the EEOC – including a moral or ethical belief – that prohibits you from joining and maintaining membership in a union.
• Elect to donate an amount equivalent to dues and initiation fees by advising the union, in writing, of your religious (including a moral or ethical) objection.
• Make monthly donations, in the amount equivalent to initiation fees and monthly dues, to one (1) or more of the following charities:
  1. American Heart Association;
  2. American Cancer Society; or
  3. The United Way.
• Show proof to the union of having made the contributions to charity in the amount of membership dues on a monthly basis.

Step 1: Advise the union of your religious (including a moral or ethical) objection to joining and maintaining membership in a union, including CGSU-UE.

Step 2: Fill out and send the completed form to the union.

Step 3: Sign up for one (1) or more of the following charities, all of which have an automatic monthly donation option:

1. American Heart Association (AHA Donation Link)
2. American Cancer Society (ACS Donation Link)
3. The United Way (there are multiple United Way chapters, or you can donate via the United Way National Donation Link)

Step 4: Ensure that you are making monthly contributions in the amount of monthly union dues and initiation fees. The union’s website indicates dues are equal to 1.44% of a graduate student worker’s stipend. 

Step 5: Show proof to the union of having made the contributions to charity in the amount of membership dues on a monthly basis. To the extent that the charity permits you to automatically send donation receipts to specific addresses, you could identify the union as an automatic recipient of your donation receipts. You should retain your proof of payment and proof that you have submitted it to the union.