Union Representation

Dear Doctoral Students,

We write to share the university’s emphatic denial of CGSU-UE Local 300’s request to terminate 163 graduate student workers for allegedly failing to pay dues or fees to the union. Our message to the union is included below.

We want all graduate student workers, faculty, and staff to understand the university’s rationale for denying this request. First, the union’s termination request was moot, given the timing at the end of the semester. Second, the union has engaged in misleading communication with graduate student workers.

The union contract representing graduate student workers at Cornell is unambiguously clear: All graduate student workers have three choices as to how to financially engage with the union and receive union representation. Graduate student workers may:

1. Pay dues and join the union,
2. Pay a comparable agency fee, or
3. Contribute to a charity, in a comparable amount to dues or fees, based on a graduate student worker’s sincerely held moral, ethical, or religious belief.

Over the course of the last academic year, the union has repeatedly omitted the charitable option when communicating with graduate student workers. The union also has told graduate student workers that their employment will be automatically terminated if they do not pay dues or fees, again omitting the charitable option.

The university recognizes the contract that grants all graduate student workers freedom to determine how they engage with the union. The contract has no provision to automatically terminate graduate student workers as the union sought to do.

We encourage all ongoing and incoming graduate student workers to review the full text of the university’s response to this request for termination. And we encourage the union to engage in a good faith process of clear communication to graduate student workers about their rights and responsibilities as stated in the contract.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston
Senior Director of Staff and Labor Relations

###

Message to CGSU-UE sent June 4, 2026:

Step 3 Decision / Grievance 2026_40 – Union Security Clause (Termination Requests)

On May 20, 2026, the parties attended a Step 3 meeting on the CGSU-UE Local 300’s May 13 grievance alleging violations of the Union Security clause of their 2024-2027 collective bargaining agreement. President Ewa Niżałowska, Vice President for Membership Gabe Sakeres, Financial Secretary Andrea Cicirello, Campus Head Steward Jenna Marvin, Region 4 Lead Steward Stephan Wagner, and UE Staff Member Collin Heatley attended for the Union. Senior Director of Staff and Labor Relations Laurie Johnston attended for Cornell. Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education Thomas A. Lewis and I chaired the meeting.

The UE brought this grievance at Step 3 in the first instance, citing its emergency nature. At the meeting, the Union identified alleged violations of the Union Security and other clauses, as stated in the grievance.1

The following were presented for consideration during the meeting: the grievance, the Union Security clause of the parties’ contract, the parties’ testimony, and documents provided by management.

Those documents consisted of (1) the July 23, 2025 grievance settlement in which the parties agreed that the contract entitled graduate student workers to make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or fees based on a sincerely held moral, ethical, or religious belief; (2) examples of messages from the Union since the settlement in which the Union repeatedly omitted the charitable contribution option when informing graduate student workers that their employment would be terminated if they did not pay dues or fees; (3) Graduate School messages seeking to clarify that graduate student workers have a third option to make a charitable contribution to remain in good standing with the Union; (4) one of the 163 emails from the Union on May 5 requesting that the University terminate a graduate student worker for failing to pay dues or fees, but failing to indicate their compliance with the charitable contribution option; (5) an example of the University acknowledging a termination request, declining to terminate the student’s appointment solely on that basis, and asking to meet with the Union to discuss further; and (6) the University’s May 12 email requesting information from the Union about its communications with graduate student workers about the Union Security clause since the July 23 settlement.

At the Step 3 meeting, the UE argued that Cornell violated the Union Security clause by not terminating the employment of 163 graduate student workers at the Union’s request by the deadline the Union specified. It explained that, on May 5, it informed the University that these workers were not in good standing because they had not paid dues or fees and requested that the University terminate them by May 11 on that basis. The University declined to do so, instead seeking additional information and a meeting to discuss the requests. The Union contended that the Union Security clause’s language obligated the University to act without discussion or additional information. Specifically, it noted that the clause makes good standing with the Union “a condition of employment,” without elaboration. In the absence of negotiated language about a process or timeline for handling termination requests, the Union maintained that the University was not entitled to inquire about its process nor to deviate from the Union’s requested timeline. It declined to respond to questions about the contract language as well as about its process for enforcing the Union Security clause, stating that the Union’s internal process was irrelevant. Although the Union acknowledged that it was now seeking to terminate fewer than the 163 employees initially requested, it could not confirm the current number of employees it sought to terminate, nor would it explain why the number had been reduced significantly since the initial request, beyond broadly claiming that many students had since brought themselves into good standing. As a remedy for the alleged violation, the Union demanded that the University terminate the remaining employees, although it acknowledged that even these requests were now moot because Spring appointments ended on May 20.

The University acknowledged that remaining in good standing with the Union is a “condition of employment” under the contract. It further acknowledged that graduate student workers can lose their appointment if they fail to pay dues or fees to the Union or make a charitable contribution under the Union Security clause. It disagreed, however, with the Union’s argument that the contract requires automatic termination upon the Union’s request, noting that the Union had not negotiated such language. It further maintained that the University was entitled to information and a discussion about a process through which it could verify that termination is appropriate. In particular, before terminating an employee, the University would want to verify students’ non-compliance with the clause and that the students had received accurate information about their contractual rights and obligations.

In that regard, the University offered evidence to illustrate the need for such a process. Specifically, it noted ongoing concerns about the Union’s communications with graduate student workers about their contractual rights. It cited emails from graduate student workers who expressed confusion and distress about receiving Union communications that insinuated that it had unilateral authority to terminate them if they did not pay dues or fees, without mention of the charitable contribution option. The University expressed concern about automatically terminating employees who may have been misinformed or coerced by these communications. It further noted that the Union’s messaging was inconsistent with the parties’ July 2025 settlement agreement in which the Union acknowledged graduate student workers right to make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues and fees under the Union Security Clause.

We have carefully considered the parties’ positions, the contract language, and documents submitted at the Step 3 meeting. With the end of the semester on May 20, this grievance is moot because the appointments have ended for the graduate student workers in question. The University cannot terminate an appointment that has already concluded. We therefore deny this grievance on that basis.

In denying the grievance, we further note that the Union did not satisfy its burden of proof that the University violated the Union Security clause in this case.

The clause plainly requires graduate student workers to remain in good standing with the Union as a condition of employment. While the clause does not specify a process or timeline for effectuating that condition, it also does not include language that can be read to compel the University to automatically execute requests to terminate employees by whatever process and on whatever timeline the Union demands. The Union brought forth no evidence to suggest that the parties negotiated the clause to establish automatic execution of termination requests and absolute deference to Union determinations about students’ compliance with the clause. Absent such evidence, we cannot conclude that the Union carried its burden of showing that its reading of the contract is the only reading, let alone the correct one.

In contrast, the University advanced evidence to establish a good faith need for a process for verifying that a termination request is appropriate. In particular, the University cited communications from the Union to graduate student workers that failed to accurately summarize their contractual rights and obligations. Notwithstanding that the Union agreed in the July 2025 settlement that the contract provides students with a charitable contribution option, its communications since then have failed to inform them of that right. The University therefore articulated a valid concern that the Union’s messaging had the effect of misleading those it demanded the University terminate.

In addition, the University has a valid concern about terminating employees without information to establish their non-compliance. It was troubling at the hearing that the Union was unable to confirm the correct number of pending termination requests in the face of repeated downward revisions; it was equally concerning that it would not offer an explanation for the repeated revisions. Such uncertainty leaves the University to guess as to whether a particular change stemmed from an employee’s sudden compliance with the Union Security clause, or a mistake by the Union. Likewise, the University lacks sufficient information to understand whether the Union is demanding termination of employees who may have validly elected the charitable contribution option. The Union’s termination requests make no mention of employees’ status relative to that option, referencing only their failure to pay dues and fees. The University is validly reluctant to act, blindly, on requests that omit this essential information, particularly considering the Union’s ongoing failure to apprise graduate student workers of this option in their communications since the July settlement.

Indeed, as the employer of the 163 graduate students initially in question, and as an equal party to the contract, the University has an interest in ensuring it is acting appropriately under the agreement. The University is therefore entitled to information sufficient to verify that a graduate student worker is not in good standing. This information might include evidence that the Union made transparent disclosures to the graduate student worker of their contractual obligations and rights as well as of the consequences of non-compliance. The University may also seek information sufficient to establish that the worker understood the Union’s process and timeline for enforcing the Union Security clause, and that there was no pending dispute between the student and Union within the context of that process. In addition, a reasonable process might include a meaningful timeframe during which the University could evaluate the request and a cure period during which the student could challenge the request and/or regain good standing. The process would ensure meaningful due process, accountability, and good faith compliance with the Union Security clause before depriving graduate student workers of their livelihood.

At this time, the Union is refusing to engage in a good faith process of this nature. In addition to refusing to answer questions at the Step 3 meeting about its processes and bases for requesting termination of 163 employees, it has since also refused to respond to the University’s request for information about communications to graduate student workers about the Union Security clause since the July settlement. The University is therefore reasonably concerned about executing termination requests when it has a good faith basis to doubt that the Union has communicated candidly with graduate student workers about their rights.

Based on the foregoing, we deny this grievance as moot. We also do not find a violation of the contract for the reasons outlined above. Thanks to all participants for a professional process.

Caroline Vazquez Wolkof
Director of Staff and Labor Relations

Thomas A. Lewis
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

1 Although the grievance document alleges violations of state and federal law, the Union did not elaborate upon these claims at the meeting. I note that the scope of the grievance is properly limited to the contract violations alleged because the contract defines a “grievance” as, in relevant part, “any matter involving the interpretation or application of this Agreement,” and does not contemplate consideration of alleged violations of law.

CGSU-UE has been making false and misleading statements to graduate students, threatening them with immediate termination of their employment. The university is writing to set the record straight and inform you of your options.

The union sent the following message on May 5:

“It’s now past the deadline to comply with the Union Security article in our contract. That means you’ll be getting a termination letter at the end of the day today.”

The message then makes a “personal recommendation” that students elect membership in the union, omitting their contractual alternatives. You may have received a similar message.

First, the threat of immediate termination is not true. The union does not have authority to unilaterally terminate a graduate student worker’s employment, and no graduate student is at risk of immediate termination. The university has asked the union to meet to discuss the process to address the union’s request.

Second, the CGSU-UE agreement (Article 3) provides graduate student workers with three options to comply with the Union Security clause:

1. Become a union member and pay dues;
2. Become an agency fee member and pay agency fees; or
3. Elect to pay an equivalent amount to dues and fees to one of the following charitable organizations: the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or the United Way.

Graduate student workers must select one of these options. This requirement only applies to graduate students with assistantship appointments (e.g., not to fellows or graduate students without an assistantship). To be abundantly clear: Graduate student workers are entitled to choose any one of these options without fear of threats, coercion, and manipulation.

Graduate student workers may become a union member or agency fee payer by returning a signed authorization card to the union or they may elect the charitable contribution option by writing to objections@ueunion.org to express a sincere moral, ethical, or religious objection to joining the union. Please note, even if you previously elected or authorized the payment of membership dues or agency fees, the union agreed in a settlement agreement with the university that you can switch your election to the charitable contribution option in lieu of payments to the union.

Graduate student workers may also revoke dues/agency fees authorization to halt deductions from their paychecks. Revocation will end automatic dues deductions from your paycheck but will not end your union membership or responsibility for member dues.

If a graduate student worker does not select one of the options listed above, the union may request termination of their appointment. Termination will not be automatic. On receipt of a termination request, the university will negotiate the process to apply, which may include assessing whether the student has complied with the Union Security clause by selecting one of the three options, and whether they had accurate information about their options.

Please refer to the Graduate School website for more information: Union Dues, Fees, or Charitable Donations: Know Your Options.

Good afternoon,

We understand that CGSU-UE is sending letters to graduate students telling them that unless they choose one of two options under the CGSU-UE agreement with the university, their employment with the university will end today. This is not true!

Article 3 provides for three options for students to comply with the union security clause of the agreement:

1. Become a union member and pay dues;
2. Become an agency fee member and pay agency fees; or
3. Elect to pay an equivalent amount to dues and fees to one of the following charitable organizations: the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or the United Way.

The collective bargaining agreement requires you to join the union, pay agency fees, or make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or fees as a “condition of employment.” The union can ask that the university end a graduate student’s appointment if you fail to select one of the three options. 

The university has not received any requests from the union to terminate the appointment of any graduate student worker and the university will not automatically terminate any student’s appointment.

There is additional information on the Graduate School website: Union Dues, Fees, or Charitable Donations: Know Your Options.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston
Office of Staff & Labor Relations
Cornell University

Good afternoon,

We understand that CGSU-UE has been messaging students in the bargaining unit about their obligations under Article 3 of the collective bargaining agreement between CGSU-UE and the university.

Article 3 provides for three options for students to comply with the union security clause of the agreement:

1. Become a union member and pay dues;
2. Become an agency fee member and pay agency fees; or
3. Elect to pay an equivalent amount to dues and fees to one of the following charitable organizations: the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or the United Way.

What if I don’t like any of the three options and do nothing?Because the collective bargaining agreement requires you to join the union, pay agency fees, or make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or fees as a “condition of employment,” the union can ask that the university end a graduate student’s appointment if you fail to select one of the three options. At that point, the university will work with the union in good faith to determine the procedures for responding to those requests. The university has not received any requests from the union to terminate the appointment of any graduate student worker and the university will not automatically terminate any student’s appointment on May 1.

There is additional information on the Graduate School website: Union Dues, Fees, or Charitable Donations: Know Your Options.

If you have additional questions, please contact CGSU-UE at communications@cgsu.org.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston
Office of Staff & Labor Relations
Cornell University

Good morning,

We understand that CGSU-UE has been messaging students in the bargaining unit about their obligations under Article 3 of the collective bargaining agreement between CGSU-UE and the university.

Article 3 provides for three options for students to comply with the union security clause of the agreement:

1. Become a union member and pay dues;
2. Become an agency fee member and pay agency fees; or
3. Elect to pay an equivalent amount to dues and fees to one of the following charitable organizations: the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or the United Way.

There is additional information on the Graduate School website: Union Dues, Fees, or Charitable Donations: Know Your Options.

If you have additional questions, please contact CGSU-UE at communications@cgsu.org.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston
Office of Staff & Labor Relations
Cornell University

Dear CGSU-UE leadership,

Given the Union’s close to six-week delay (Oct. 23 – Dec. 3) in responding to our proposed notice to unit members, we have missed October 31, November 15 and November 30 payrolls during which we could have fully resolved this grievance.

Regardless, in the hope of resolving this dispute, and recognizing that the Union has agreed to indemnify the University for any “claim, action, omission, or proceeding by any Graduate Student Worker arising from deductions made by the University” in Section 3.3 of the Union Security Article, we will accept your prior certification of the dues and agency fees owed by the graduate student workers. We have also revised the notice letter.   

Please note – while the notice does not require consent or include the overpayment dispute procedure, we are notifying graduate student workers of the change in deductions made on their behalf prior to implementing the change pursuant to Section 193(1)(b) of the New York Labor Law. 

As a compromise and demonstration of our good faith to address this issue, the University will send a notice to the graduate student workers concerning the missed dues/ agency fees, and note that the missed dues/fees will be deducted over the next 2 pay periods (December 15 and December 31; copy of notice attached). The University will then collect and remit the dues over the next 2 pay periods. 

Given the tight timelines for our payroll processing, we will this process immediately. 

Thank you.

Laurie

The message below was sent to members of the bargaining unit who have not agreed to dues deduction or agency fees:

The university has learned that CGSU-UE recently notified some graduate student workers that they must “either join CGSU-UE Local 300 and pay union dues, or to pay an equivalent non-member agency fee.” This is false and misleading. CGSU-UE failed to mention the third option for a charitable contribution. 

The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) gives you a third option to elect to make a charitable contribution instead of paying anything to the union if you hold a sincerely held religious, moral or ethical belief that prohibits you from joining and maintaining membership in CGSU-UE.

Please know that Cornell will not deduct dues or agency fees from any worker who has not authorized the deduction and will not terminate an assistantship appointment without following the explicit terms of the collective bargaining agreement. 

Learn more about your rights under all three options under your CBA – including how to elect the charitable contribution in lieu of dues or fees.

We found the Union’s response to our concerns to be disingenuous given the terms of our Union Security article.  The University and the Union agreed in their contract that students with sincerely held religious, moral or ethical beliefs, have the right “to make a charitable contribution in lieu of Membership Dues or Agency Fees.”  In short, the Union’s statement that graduate students are exclusively “required to either… join CGSU-UE Local 300 and pay union dues, or to pay an equivalent non-member agency fee” or risk losing their assistantships violates the CBA and the Parties Grievance settlement executed on July 23, 2025.  It is not an “either … or” – the graduate students have a third option.  As our contract provides and as stated in our Grievance Settlement, “the CBA provides Graduate Student Workers with the right to elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of Membership Dues or Agency Fees….” (emphasis supplied)

Despite the CBA’s language and the Grievance Settlement on this issue, the Union continues to provide false information to graduate students.

On September 17, 2025, CGSU-UE sent an email to graduate students, including unit members, that they are: “required to either join CGSU-UE Local 300 and pay union dues, or to pay an equivalent non-member agency fee”, and that doing so “is a condition of current and future employment in any research or teaching position as a graduate worker.” (Emphasis in original.) 

The Union sent a more recent version of the email on October 6, 2025, which states that graduate students must: “pay either membership dues or an equivalent non-member agency fee. Payment in one form or another is not optional, and is a condition of current and future employment in your research or teaching position as a graduate student.”  (Emphasis in original.) 

Both emails violate Section 3.4 (Payment in Lieu of Membership Dues / Agency Fees) of the Parties’ CBA and Section 2 of the Parties’ Grievance Settlement. 

Section 3.4 of the Parties’ CBA states that:

“If a Graduate Student Worker has a sincerely held religious belief, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in a union, they may elect to pay the amount equivalent to initiation fees and monthly dues to charity in lieu of payments to the Union….”

Section 2 of the Parties’ Grievance Settlement states:

“The Parties agree that the Union Security Article of the CBA provides Graduate Student Workers with the right to elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of Membership Dues or Agency Fees, provided they hold a sincerely held religious belief, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which may include moral or ethical beliefs, that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in the Union.”

Therefore, the Union’s threat that graduate students must choose between exclusively paying union dues or agency fees “is a condition of current and future employment in any research or teaching position as a graduate worker” violates the Parties’ CBA and Grievance Settlement.

The Union must immediately cure its flagrant, continuing breaches of both the Parties’ CBA and Grievance Settlement.  Cornell reserves its rights to exercise all available legal options to enforce the plain and unambiguous terms of our CBA and Grievance Settlement.

Dear Cornell graduate students,

We have become aware of a message that CGSU-UE sent on September 17 to graduate students who have not provided authorization cards to join the union. In this message, the union falsely claims these students must join the union and pay dues, or pay agency fees, or risk losing their assistantship.

This messaging is NOT consistent with our collective bargaining agreement (CBA), or the grievance settlement between Cornell and the union on the exact same topic. The union and Cornell agreed to the following on July 23, 2025:

The parties agree that the Union Security Article of the CBA provides Graduate Student Workers with the right to elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of Membership Dues or Agency Fees, provided they hold a sincerely held religious belief, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which may include moral or ethical beliefs, that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in the union…

(See ¶ 2 of the Settlement Agreement, which you can review in full here.)

The union’s messaging prior to the grievance in June 2025 and on September 17, ignored the third option, which is that graduate students may elect to make a charitable contribution if they hold a sincerely-held religious, moral or ethical belief that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in CGSU-UE.

Cornell has—once again—communicated directly with the union regarding their continued attempts to misrepresent the fact that graduate students are NOT required to join the union and pay dues or agency fees and risk losing their assistantships, but instead may avail themselves of the charitable contribution option under the Union Security clause. Cornell has demanded the Union correct its recent miscommunication. (see letter below). Cornell reserves the right to take legal  steps to halt the union’s misrepresentations and threats.

Please be assured that no graduate student is at risk of losing their assistantship if they do not join the union and pay dues, or pay agency fees, provided that they follow the terms of our agreement with the union regarding the charitable contribution option.

For more information on how to elect the charitable contribution option, or any dues or fee deduction, please see our FAQs.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston

Senior Director, Staff and Labor Relations

[Below is the message that Cornell sent to CGSU-UE Local 300 on September 19, 2025.]

Dear CGSU-UE Local 300:

On September 17, 2025, Cornell learned that CGSU-UE sent a communication misrepresenting the plain and unambiguous terms and intent of our collective bargaining agreement’s (CBA) Union Security clause and Paragraph 2 of our July 23, 2025 settlement agreement. Specifically, the Union advised graduate students who have not yet joined the Union and agreed to pay dues that they are “required to either join CGSU-UE Local 300 and pay union dues, or to pay an equivalent non-member agency fee.” (emphasis in original.) The Union then doubled down on this patently false statement by threatening these students with the loss of their research or teaching positions if they fail to become members or agency fee payers.

The facts could not be clearer: the parties now have agreed in two writings—the CBA and grievance settlement—that there is a third option for graduate students—“they may elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of Membership Dues or Agency Fees, provided that they hold a sincerely held religious belief, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which include moral or ethical beliefs, that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in the Union.” (See ¶ 2 of the Settlement Agreement.)

We are at a loss as to why the Union continues to ignore what it agreed to in collective bargaining in March 2025 and again in the July 2025 grievance settlement. Compounding the Union’s misrepresentation, the Union sent this communication to at least one graduate student who already successfully elected to exercise the charitable contribution option. This action can only be viewed as a threat.

Cornell demands that the CGSU-UE immediately issue a public retraction and clarification to all graduate students properly setting forth the language of our CBA and settlement agreement. In addition, Cornell reserves its rights to exercise all available legal options to enforce the plain and unambiguous terms of our CBA and settlement agreement.

Sincerely,

Laurie M. Johnston

Sr. Director of Staff and Labor Relations

As a Cornell doctoral student, you are eligible for a TCAT OmniRide bus pass for all years of your graduate study. This is a new benefit for this fall, and we’ve heard reports that some students have had their card denied when boarding busses. The Transportation Office is working to resolve technical issues and to make this a full automatic benefit.  

To activate your OmniRide Pass, request your free OmniRide pass via an email to transportation@cornell.edu.

Passholders, if the card displays as invalid and you haven’t previously contacted Transportation, please email transportation@cornell.edu.

In the interim, all doctoral students will be able to use the TCAT bus by swiping their card on the bus reader, even if the message on the reader indicates the individual doesn’t have a pass. The Transportation Office is coordinating with TCAT on this special exemption. Individuals wishing to ride the bus still need to swipe their card, even if it displays invalid.

Dear Cornell graduate students,

Further to Cornell’s email from last Wednesday, I write to share an update on your rights under the CGSU-UE – Cornell University Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to choose union membership, agency fee status or to make a charitable contribution if you are a religious objector.

On Wednesday, July 16, the parties finalized a settlement to ensure that the charitable contribution option is available to every eligible graduate student worker. We urge you to read the settlement agreement carefully. It is in line with the guidance in my Wednesday email.

For any student with a sincerely held religious, moral or ethical belief that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in CGSU-UE that has either not yet made an election or made an election without knowing about their right to make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or fees, I want to highlight the below three paragraphs from the parties’ settlement agreement:

Please note, the parties agreed that a religious belief may “include moral or ethical beliefs”:

• The Parties agree that Graduate Student Workers may advise the Union of their religious objection by email or mail at the following addresses:

Email: objections@ueunion.org

Mail:

Religious Objections

United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE)

4 Smithfield Street, 9th Floor

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

• The Parties agree that eligible Graduate Student Workers are neither prohibited from using nor required to use any particular form to elect payment of a charitable contribution in lieu of Membership Dues or Agency Fees provided the election advises the Union of their religious objection and, in order to comply with the EEOC Guidelines on Religious Discrimination, if the Union has an objective basis for questioning the belief, provides sufficient information for the Union to evaluate whether the objection meets the EEOC definition.

• Any eligible Graduate Student Worker with a sincerely held religious belief who elected and authorized the payment of Membership Dues or Agency Fees is eligible to elect to make payments to charity in lieu of payments to the Union consistent with the requirements of Section D (Payment in Lieu of Membership Dues / Agency Fees) of the Union Security Article.

Additionally, several graduate student workers have reached out to the university to ask whether funds would be deducted from their paychecks or if action would be taken against them if they were eligible and in the process of electing the charitable contribution option. In line with the settlement agreement and the guidance provided previously, provided a graduate student worker has not authorized dues or fee deductions and follows the process to elect and make charitable contributions in lieu of dues or fees, no dues or fees will be deducted from your paycheck and no action will be taken against you.

For more information on how to elect the charitable contribution option, or any dues or fee deduction, please see our FAQs.

Laurie M. Johnston
Senior Director, Staff and Labor Relations
Cornell University

Dear Cornell graduate students,

We urge you to read this update on Cornell’s continuing efforts to ensure graduate student workers can exercise their rights under the recent CGSU-UE – Cornell University Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to choose union membership, agency fee status or to make a charitable contribution if they are a religious objector. As described below, union dues and agency fees will be deducted from paychecks beginning with the July 31 payroll.

As background, on June 12, CGSU-UE filed a grievance claiming Cornell is violating the CBA’s Union Security article. We believe that this grievance is meritless. We tried to engage CGSU-UE to reach a mutual understanding of our union security clause, but the CGSU’s communications and materials never informed bargaining unit members of the three options they have available to them until its June 12 email.

In that email, the union stated that you may:

1. “become[e] a current member of the union” and “sign a membership card and pay monthly membership dues.”
2. “opt[] to be a non-member and forgo your membership rights…” or
3. “people have the right to become a religious objector.”

We agree. Cornell appreciates that the union, like Cornell, reads the CBA’s plain language as enshrining these three options for graduate student workers.

Nevertheless, the plain language also states that if a graduate student worker has a sincerely held religious, moral or ethical belief, they “may elect to pay the amount equivalent to initiation fees and monthly dues to charity in lieu of payments to the union by advising the union in writing of their religious objection….” 

Further, contrary to the June 12 email, the parties did not merely “enshrine[]” what already exists under the “National Labor Relations Act.” Instead, it was essential to the university to secure a broader definition of religious objector to cover the wide and divergent viewpoints encompassed in our graduate student community. The parties therefore agreed to use the definition of “religious belief, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),” which encompasses “moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong…” and does not require that a specific religious group espouse the individual’s religious, moral or ethical belief.

On June 20, as part of the CBA’s grievance process, the parties met for a Step 3 grievance meeting, to respond to the union’s claims. At the meeting, CGSU-UE agreed that the contract uses the standard from the EEOC and permits those with a sincerely held religious, moral or ethical belief that prohibits them from joining and maintaining membership in CGSU-UE to elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of membership dues or agency fees. Further, CGSU-UE represented at the grievance meeting that graduate student workers are not required to fill out the union’s five-question questionnaire in order to elect to make a charitable contribution, and instead someone can write to CGSU-UE independent of the questionnaire and advise the union of their religious, moral or ethical objections – such as via email or other written communication.

Since the Step 3 grievance meeting, we understand that charitable contribution elections from some graduate student workers that had previously been denied or not processed have been granted in response to objection letters from graduate student workers. Nonetheless, we were also informed that some graduate student workers felt compelled to file charges with the EEOC to enforce their right to be religious objectors.

The university engaged in settlement discussions with the union on this point. While the union never responded to the university’s most recent proposal, on July 14, the hearing officers issued their findings denying the union’s grievance in its entirety. At this point, the union can accept the decision or proceed to arbitration.

Regardless, the following guidance reflects the agreement’s plain text and the university’s understanding of the parties’ agreement at the Step 3 meeting regarding how a graduate student worker may elect the charitable contribution option. Cornell will begin deducting union dues and agency fees beginning with the July 31, 2025, payroll and provides the following guidance:

• The CBA’s Union Security article provides graduate student workers with the right to elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of membership dues or agency fees, provided they have a sincerely held religious belief as defined by the EEOC, which may include moral or ethical beliefs.
• Graduate student workers may advise the union of their religious objection by email or mail at the following addresses:

Email: objections@ueunion.org

Mail:

Religious Objections
United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE)
4 Smithfield Street, 9th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

• Graduate student workers are not required to use any particular form to elect payment of the charitable contribution in lieu of membership dues or agency fees. If your election advises the union of your religious, moral or ethical objection, the election will be processed.
• Consistent with EEOC guidelines, the union can only ask for further information regarding the belief if they have an “objective basis” for questioning the belief.
• If you are a graduate student worker with a sincerely held religious, moral or ethical belief that prohibits you from joining and maintaining membership in CGSU-UE, but you already elected and authorized payment of dues or fees to the union, you may elect instead to make payments to charity in lieu of payments to the union by following the procedures to elect the charitable contribution option in the Union Security article.

For more information on how to elect the charitable contribution option, or any dues or fee deduction, please see the university’s FAQs.

The university remains committed to the integrity of the CBA language and to ensuring it works as intended by giving all graduate student workers a free and fair choice to elect to make a charitable contribution in lieu of dues or fees if they hold a sincere religious, moral or ethical objection and so elect and advise the union.

We will update you if there is more information on this important topic.

Caroline Vazquez Wolkoff
Associate Director of Staff and Labor Relations

Cornell University

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@cgsu.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@cgsu.org.

To revoke a dues deduction authorization, a graduate student worker must submit their request individually and in writing to the Office of Staff and Labor Relations (staff-labor-relations@cornell.edu).

Note that the revocation of dues deduction authorization only ends the dues deduction from your paycheck, not union membership. To withdraw from union membership, please work directly with CGSU-UE. The university cannot do that for you.

Also note that members of the bargaining unit who do not want to be union members must still elect one of the other two options provided in the CGSU-UE agreement (Article 3), that is, the payment of agency fees or electing the option to make charitable contributions in lieu of fees and dues. Graduate students should write to objections@ueunion.org to elect the charitable contribution option based on a sincerely held religious, ethical, or moral belief.

CGSU-UE, not the university, sets the rates for dues and agency fees. The charitable contribution is an amount equivalent to dues and fees.

The “penalty” rate is based on provisions of the CGSU-UE Constitution (Article 7), which addresses situations in which the union doesn’t have access to a graduate student worker’s earnings in Workday because the student did not sign a FERPA waiver. Some students subject to the penalty rate have instead been able to demonstrate their earnings via pay stubs submitted to the union (membership@cgsu.org) to avoid the penalty rate. 

The CBA covers Cornell Ph.D. and Master’s students who receive a stipend from Cornell to provide teaching or research services in titles including teaching assistants, research assistants, graduate assistants, and graduate research assistants. All other titles, including graduate student fellows, are excluded from the bargaining unit.

Students in titles excluded from the unit are not covered by the contract and are not required to make an election under one of the three options provided by the Union Security article of the CBA.

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.

No. The university will only make deductions from payroll for dues and agency fees if you provide a signed authorization form. If you have questions or want more information on the process, please contact the union.

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.

The following is an example of a message you might send to the CGSU-UE. It is possible that the CGSU-UE will pose additional questions or request additional information.

Using this language is not a guarantee of CGSU-UE’s actions, but we are aware that bargaining unit members using a similar approach are making charitable donations, not paying union dues or agency fees, and the union acknowledged their election. 

I advise the CGSU-UE Local 300 of my sincerely held religious, moral, and ethical beliefs, as defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) prohibits me from joining and maintaining membership in the union (CGSU-UE). I elect to pay the amount equivalent to initiation fees and monthly dues to charity in lieu of payments to the union.

[Provide information about of the sincerely held religious, moral and/ or ethical beliefs]

I acknowledge I am required to make monthly donations in an amount equivalent to union initiation fees and monthly dues to either: American Heart Association, American Cancer Society or the United Way. I also understand that I am required to provide proof to CGSU-UE Local 300 of having made the contributions to charity on a monthly basis.

Name:
NetID:
Date:

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, by email (objections@ueunion.org) or mail:

Religious Objections
United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE)
4 Smithfield Street, 9th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Graduate student workers are not required to use any particular form to elect payment of the charitable contribution in lieu of membership dues or agency fees. If your election advises the union of your religious, moral or ethical objection, the election will be processed.

Consistent with EEOC guidelines, the union can only ask for further information regarding the belief if they have an “objective basis” for questioning the belief.

Step 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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.

A new benefit for doctoral students this fall is access to a free TCAT OmniRide Pass for all years of your graduate study. To activate your pass, email Transportation Customer Services at transportation@cornell.edu.

You must enroll and pay for coverage. Under the terms of the contract, graduate student worker base stipends include a $544 benefits adjustment that may be used for dental and vision self-coverage, as well as access to fitness centers. Review the Student Health Benefits website for enrollment dates and rates.