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Cornell University and the United Auto Workers have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract for the institution’s services and maintenance staff, who have been on strike since Aug. 18.
The UAW membership will vote to ratify the package on Sept. 1 and 2 and, if it passes, will end its strike Sept. 3. The agreement includes a wage increase of up to 24.5 percent and a cost-of-living adjustment to protect wages against inflation for custodians, groundskeepers, dining hall staff, gardeners and others.
The deal also contains improvements to policies on time off, uniforms, inclement weather and safety protections.
“Workers at Cornell were fed up with being exploited and disrespected,” said UAW Local 2300 president Christine Johnson in a statement. “This agreement is going to mean a better life for the people who make Cornell run.”
In a letter to the Cornell community, interim president Michael Kotlikoff, interim provost John Siliciano, vice president and chief human resources officer Christine Lovely, vice president of student and campus life Ryan Lombardi, and vice president for facilities and campus services Rick Burgess expressed their appreciation to the Cornell and UAW bargaining committees. “We look forward to welcoming [UAW-represented employees] back,” they said.
The strike has meant that university operations, particularly dining services, have been severely disrupted. “We are grateful to the many staff and faculty filling the operational gaps in dining and elsewhere caused by the strike. Until we return to regular staffing levels, volunteers will continue to be needed and welcome,” the leaders said.
