The union that represents service and maintenance workers at Cornell University is voting this week on whether to authorize a strike.
The possibility of a strike comes near the start of Cornell’s fall semester, which will bring a flood of returning students to the Ithaca campus. Students will begin moving in on Monday and start classes on August 26.
The United Automobile Workers chapter’s contract lapsed earlier this summer. The union and Cornell have been locked in charged contract negotiations with workers calling for higher wages and a cost of living adjustment.
Workers represented by the union maintain the grounds, feed students, and keep on-campus buildings clean. In an announcement on Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain said it’s work that’s necessary to keep campus operational. But the workers who fill those positions aren’t treated with respect or compensated fairly, he added.
“This is more than a battle for wages. It's a battle for dignity, for respect and for the future of every worker at this institution,” Fain said.
Union members say the high cost of living in Ithaca and Tompkins County, where Cornell is located, has left them struggling to get by on their wages. They’re advocating for a contract that would allow them to be paid more and match rising prices for necessities in the area.
Fain said Cornell has the money to pay its workers fairly, but is choosing not to.
“Cornell University, an Ivy League institution, is hoarding its immense wealth while denying its workers a living wage,” Fain added.
Cornell announced an over $10 billion endowment in 2023. It’s also a tax-exempt institution.
The union filed unfair labor practice charges against Cornell to the National Labor Relations Board last month. They included discrimination against union members, retaliation against union activities, and a failure to bargain in good faith.
Thursday is the final day for union members to vote on a potential strike. If it passes, the union’s bargaining committee will then have the ability to call a strike.
