BY HANK REICHMAN Words: On November 17, Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger spoke to attendees at the university’s annual Hamilton Award Dinner. Here is part of the Columbia Spectator’s report on his remarks: “The University is not a political institution—we do not take positions on political issues. But when you have a position that…
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH What follows are excerpts from an article on the recent Teamsters election, written by Alexandra Bradbury for Labor Notes: For the first time in nearly two decades, reformers have won seats on the Teamsters’ international executive board—and come within a hair’s breadth of unseating the incumbent administration led by President James…
BY HANK REICHMAN A majority of teaching and research assistants at Columbia have voted to unionize, the National Labor Relations Board confirmed today, December 9. Graduate and undergraduate students voted 1602 to 623 in favor of joining Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers Union. University administrators and especially provost John Coatsworth had lobbied vigorously against…
BY HANK REICHMAN Back in August, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in the Columbia University case that student employees at private universities have the right to organize unions to bargain collectively over the terms of their employment. Within a week Columbia’s provost, historian John Coatsworth, responded with a letter to the campus community, which…
BY MARTIN KICH I am thankful for all of those who have worked and who continue to work to promote workers’ rights and to insure that workers have some meaningful voice in their workplaces. I am thankful to those who have worked and who continue to work to insure that workers receive fair treatment, a…
BY JOHN K. WILSON Donald Trump has nominated Betsy DeVos to be his Secretary of Education. DeVos grew up as part of the wealthy Prince business family, and then married into the even wealthier DeVos (Amway) family. Her husband lost his run for governor and has pushed for right-to-work laws in Michigan. Inherited wealth is…
BY HANK REICHMAN Early yesterday morning Harvard University and its striking food service workers reached a tentative agreement, which, if approved by union members in a vote scheduled for today, will bring to an end a 22-day strike that garnered national attention. (For previous posts on this blog about the strike go here, here, here,…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following is the text of a media release issued this afternoon by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF): The strike is over. Faculty negotiators have reached a tentative agreement with Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The three-year deal, ending in June 30, 2018, concludes a…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following statement was issued by Rudy Fichtenbaum, President of the American Association of University Professors, and Howard Bunsis, chair of the AAUP Collective Bargaining Congress: “The AAUP and the AAUP-CBC stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Association of Pennsylvania State Colleges and University Faculties (APSCUF) in their struggle for…