12/8/2025 We won back our health fund!

Following our last bargaining session and a sustained campaign across the university by student workers, we forced admin to stop holding the health fund hostage during negotiations for a new contract. For this round of disbursements, $425,000 will be available for student workers, and $225,000 for dependents. The Healthcare Working Group has released applications here, which will be due on January 15, 2026.

This is the result of a coordinated effort by student workers and allies from across the university. Columbia claimed at the bargaining table that a reinstatement would be impossible before contract negotiations concluded. We proved them wrong.

This win is all of ours. Thank you to the members who

• Drafted department-level petitions and open letters;

• Participated in planning the health fund picket;

• Composed the Memorandum of Agreement to demand the fund’s reinstatement;

• Gave testimonies at bargaining to illustrate the need for this life-saving resource;

• Talked to students and faculty and encouraged them to join our efforts;

• And more!

Organizing gets the goods. By standing our ground, we secured a 3% raise and the reinstatement of our health fund. We have more to win: a living wage, strong benefits, and a safe and just workplace.

We look forward to increasing the health fund to meet all student workers’ and dependents’ needs, as well as establishing a more comprehensive benefits package in our successor contract. We also expect a substantive response from the CU administration to SWC’s full slate of benefits proposals, which we delivered at the Nov. 24 bargaining session.