Question

Hi,

I hope all is well. I heard that voting will occur at designated polling stations. I was wondering how this will work for students who are working off-campus, or at one of the satellite campuses.

Best,

Satellite-Curious Graduate Student

Response

Dear Satellite-Curious Graduate Student,

Thanks for your Ask a Dean question. 

We are currently in discussions with CGSU/AFT/NYSUT regarding election locations, should they duly file an election petition and an arbitrator confirms they have presented to the American Arbitration Association (AAA) authorization cards (paper or electronic) from 30% of the bargaining unit as defined in the May ’16 Agreement with Cornell, i.e., Ithaca and Geneva campus-based Cornell graduate students enrolled in the Graduate School who hold titles under Cornell University Policy 1.3 as Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Assistants, or Research Assistants. 

We have tentatively agreed that the AAA, which will oversee the election, will offer two election days on the Ithaca campus and one election day on the Geneva campus. Those dates will be announced soon after the arbitrator confirms a valid showing of authorization cards as above, and each eligible voter will receive an individual communication specifying which of the four Ithaca locations or one Geneva location they have been assigned to for voting purposes.

The AAA is able to provide an absentee ballot option for eligible voters who will not be on one of these two campuses on the election days, but for the AAA to provide that option both parties must agree. Cornell would like to provide this option, especially for students in the eligible voter population who are registered as in absentia with the Graduate School for this semester, conducting their scholarship away from campus. However, CGSU/AFT/NYSUT have not yet agreed to using absentee ballots. We hope to know more in the coming days and hope this will be an available option.

Warm regards,

Barb

Barbara A. Knuth
Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School