Bargaining Session: September 26, 2019

On September 26, 2019, representatives of the University attended the seventeenth bargaining session with the union committee that represents Postdocs and ARSs.

At the beginning of the session, the University presented a revised Health and Safety proposal and a proposal on Foreign National Employees, completing its full offer to the Union. 

The University’s proposal on Foreign National Employees reiterates its commitment to attracting the best minds from around the world and to providing support for international scientist and scholar employees on visa and other issues, as they relate to the employment relationship with the University through the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO). Additionally, in response to specific concerns raised by the Postdocs and ARSs, the University proposal provides that if for reasons outside of an employee’s reasonable control, an employee’s immigration status prevents them from returning to the United States, the University shall consider whether their duties may be performed remotely for a limited period of time, subject to legal restrictions. The proposal also provides that if the University is not able to continue to lawfully employ an employee as a result of their immigration status, the University shall consider re-employment once an employee has work authorization or a status that allows them to work. 

University representatives from ISSO were present during most of the session to answer questions related to visa sponsorship, the benefits and drawbacks of various visa types, and visa processing and associated costs. The University explained that various aspects of the Union’s proposal were outside the usual bounds of what would be in a collective bargaining agreement or were untenable, particularly those promising support for future visa applications which assume funding availability and ongoing need that cannot be guaranteed by the University.

The Union presented a proposal on Management and Academic Rights and revised proposals on Union Security, Employment Files, and Grievance and Arbitration.

The parties discussed each other’s proposals on Management and Academic Rights, Grievance Procedures, and Arbitration. The University reiterated its position that in order to accord a meaningful measure of deference to Columbia’s right to control academic issues per the Framework Agreement, an arbitrator needs to be subject to a higher standard than otherwise would apply under the Agreement when determining whether an action or decision by the University that is challenged by the Union is an exercise of the University’s management and academic rights. 

No tentative agreements were reached.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for October 3, 2019.