Bargaining Session: December 19, 2019

On December 19, 2019, representatives of the University attended the twenty-third bargaining session with the union committee that represents Postdocs and ARSs.

The Union presented a revised proposal on Grievance and Arbitration limiting the definition of a grievance to a claim that the University has violated the Agreement or other otherwise taken adverse employment action and modifying the time period for the Union to file a written statement of the grievance from 60 to 55 calendar days.

The University presented a revised proposal on Non-Discrimination incorporating a commitment to establish a working group that would include representatives of the bargaining unit within six (6) months of the Agreement to make recommendations to the University to address employee complaints of abusive or intimidating conduct that does not fall within the categories of sexual and gender-based harassment policy violations or other forms of prohibited discrimination.

The parties continued to discuss the Union’s proposal on Intellectual Property. The University agreed to arrange for a member of Columbia Technology Ventures to attend a bargaining session, and the union bargaining committee agreed to present a revised proposal.

In addition, the parties discussed their Recognition proposals and how to address fellows who are not paid by the University.

The parties agreed to set additional bargaining sessions for 2020