The Chronicle of Higher Education
By Vimal Patel
March 20, 2017
When Columbia University graduate students went to the polls in December to decide whether to form a union, the landslide that ensued surprised even many activists. Despite opposition by the administration, students voted by more than two to one to form a collective-bargaining unit.
More than three months later, however, they are no closer to a seat at the bargaining table. While the vote was resounding, Columbia has challenged its integrity, leaving the matter tied up at the National Labor Relations Board. The university is seeking a new election, arguing that the vote was marred by a host of issues, including voter intimidation, a voter-identification mix-up, and improper surveillance of voters by the union.
A hearing officer of the labor board dismissed the university’s concerns this month. But the Columbia case — the first successful vote since graduate students at private colleges in August won the right to unionize — provides a reality check for graduate activists across the United States. At Columbia and elsewhere, when students have tried to collectivize, colleges have been willing to tie up the union bids in litigation. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking: The students’ legal right to unionize may again be short-lived because of the election of Donald J. Trump to the presidency.
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Ryan Flynn/New Haven Register via AP