Columbia Files to Prevent Graduate Students From Forming Union

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — Columbia University has filed an objection with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to overturn the result of a Dec. 7 election in which graduate students at the ivy-league institution voted in favor of forming a union with United Auto Workers.

In its objection, filed by Columbia University's Board of Trustees, the university cited six examples of misconduct — including various forms of voter suppression and voter intimidation — and claimed that the misconduct could have had an influence on the election. The objection calls upon the NLRB to overturn the vote and schedule a new one.

"The Regional Director [of the NLRB] should set aside the results of the election and direct that a new election be held in which the eligible voters can decide, in an atmosphere free from improper conduct, whether they wish to be represented for the purposes of collective bargaining," the objection reads.

The newly-formed Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers Union said it was "disappointed" with Columbia University's decision to challenge the election results.

"Given the overwhelming 72 percent mandate in favor of unionization, we had hoped the University would finally respect the democratic process and move forward. Instead, they have chosen to continue devoting resources to paying outside lawyers to put procedural, legal hurdles in our path toward collective bargaining," the union said in a statement.

On Dec. 7 research and teaching assistants voted to unionize with United Auto Workers by a vote of 1602 in favor to 623 apposed. In August the graduate assistants at Columbia, and in private universities around the country, won the right to unionize when the NLRB overturned a 2004 ruling which denied graduate assistants employee status at private universities.

Leading up to the Dec. 7 vote elected officials such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Mayor Bill de Blasio encouraged the students to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), which represents more than 38,500 graduate workers at 48 campuses.

"This is just the beginning of great things to come for the Columbia community and we’re proud to stand with graduate workers to bargain collectively for important improvements to pay and benefits that strengthen academic quality and student success," Julie Kushner, the Director of UAW Region 9A, said on Dec. 7.

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