Union FAQs and Resources

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.

Doctoral students have access to a free TCAT OmniRide Pass for all years of their 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.