Join SWC’s Fight for A Fair Contract

We need a fair contract.

In 2021, we went on a historic ten-week strike to win our first ever contract, which included major wins such as raises of up to 33%, the option for dental/vision coverage, recognition of all student workers as employees, and protections against harassment and bullying.

We’re proud of the contract we won through collective action. But there is plenty we haven’t won yet, especially as our community’s needs have changed over the last four years.

SWC’s first contract expired at the end of May 2025. We are now mounting a new campaign for a successor contract that responds to soaring inflation, rent hikes, and federal attacks on our non-citizen members, among other concerns.

Read on for our list of demands. We make all our decisions democratically, which means some demands have not yet been approved in membership meetings and therefore do not yet appear on this page.

Our Demands

Below is a list of public demands. Because Columbia has refused to come to the bargaining table, not all of our demands are public yet. We will update this webpage with the complete list of demands as our membership votes to make them public. In the meantime, card signers may access the complete, members-only list of demands by requesting access to this Google Doc.

  • Protections for International Student Workers

    • Minimal-legal sharing: Ensure that international student information is not shared with the Department of Homeland Security beyond what is legally required

    • Re-establish Columbia as a “Sanctuary Campus”

    • Protect international student jobs and do everything possible to help international students facing issues entering the US or facing deportation threats

    • Academic continuity: In the case that an international student cannot stay in the US, Columbia will make accommodations to ensure that they are still able to complete their work and work towards their degree

    Learn more about our demands and the reasoning behind them

    • Adding caregiver status, transgender identity as protected classes; expanding the definition of disabilities to include intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental health disorders

    • Shorter timelines for workers to secure accommodations from the Office of Disability Services

    • Adjustment of timelines to address and resolve complaints to hold OIE accountable

    • Earlier access to neutral arbitration for OIE complaints– complainants will no longer have to exhaust both the lengthy OIE process and the appeals process to access arbitration

    • A Power-Based Harassment article with a formalized system for reporting and resolving these issues

    See our full list of demands and learn about the reasoning behind them.

    • Increased wages commensurate with cost of living + 20% savings that allows workers financial stability. 

    • Pay parity between 9 and 12-month appointments

    • Cost of Living Adjustment which ensures that yearly wage increases meet or exceed inflation. 

    • A transparent and regular pay schedule

    • Matching contributions for retirement

    See our full list of demands and learn about the reasoning behind them.

    • The right to teach and research the topics of our choice, and the right to speak as individuals without unreasonable discipline

    • Expanded intellectual and property and copyright protections, including over teaching material.

    • Conscientious objection by student worker originators to protect against abuses

    • Recognition of student workers as significant contributors or originators of scientific conceptions/inventions

    See our full list of demands and learn about the reasoning behind them.

    • Increases to the amount of child care subsidies for parents

    • 12 weeks of parental leave at full pay, with the option of 16 weeks at 67% pay

    • Increased flexibility in scheduling and alternate teaching assignments

    • The ability to return early from parental leave without sacrificing leave pay

    • Insurance benefits during parental leave

    • The ability to apply to the Adoption Assistance and foster parenting program

    • Union Security

      • Expand access to union membership to student workers in our bargaining unit through a union or agency shop, which will ensure that all workers are protected equally by the contract, receive union communications, and pay dues

    • Union Activity

      • Full access to campus for our organizers, and access to University space for meetings.

      • Better ways to reach out to members, including union bulletin boards and longer orientation slots

      • An SWC space on campus

      • Timely and reliable information about who is eligible to join our union

    Union Leave

    • Allow the union up to 5 total workers to be released from research or instructional work (or take a leave of absence) in order to do labor-intensive union roles

    See our full list of demands and learn about the reasoning behind them.

Members may read the full list of demands – before they go public – by requesting access to this Google Doc >>