'Fed up with being exploited,' Unionized Cornell workers strike as students arrive

More than 1,000 unionized campus workers at Cornell University—from maintenance and dining room employees to gardeners and custodians—went on strike late Sunday to protest management's refusal to negotiate in good faith and put forth a fair pay and benefits package.

The strike by Cornell employees, who are represented by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2300, coincided with the Ivy League university's student move-in day. The union local has filed seven separate unfair labor practice charges against Cornell with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the university of retaliating against workers for engaging in protected union activity and interfering with organizing efforts.

"Workers at Cornell are fed up with being exploited and used," said Christine Johnson, the president of UAW Local 2300. "The university would much rather hoard its wealth and power than pay its workers fairly. Cornell could have settled this weeks ago. Instead, they've scoffed and laughed at us and broken federal law. We're done playing around."

The strike's launch followed an authorization vote last week in which 94% of participants opted to greenlight a walkout if a deal wasn't reached with Cornell management by Sunday night.

The contract that covers the 1,200 Cornell campus workers expired on June 30, and union negotiators have been pushing the university's management to approve a substantial wage increase, waive parking fees for campus employees, implement cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to ensure pay keeps up with inflation, and eliminate the tiered wage system.

Under the tiered system, The Ithaca Voiceexplained, "workers that began at Cornell University prior to June 30, 1997 make a higher wage than workers that were hired after that date. Under the current labor contract, a custodian at Cornell might make $21.99 an hour, but a custodian on the same pay grade that started before the tier date makes $26.12 an hour."

Over the summer, members of the UAW local put out a video explaining how they are "the heart, soul, and backbone" of the university and detailing how hard it has become for them to live in the town where they work or get by on the paltry wages they make:

So far, the university has offered a 6% wage increase in the first year of the new contract—an amount workers say is inadequate—while refusing to budge on the union's demand for a COLA, free parking, and an end to tiered wages.

In its press release announcing the strike, the UAW highlighted that Cornell's endowment has grown to nearly $10 billion over the past four years—an increase of 39%—and tuition has risen 13% while real wages for workers have fallen 5%. The union also pointed to lavish compensation for top university administrators, which was upwards of $12.4 million in 2022.

The UAW says most campus workers at Cornell make less than $22 an hour—below the estimated living wage in Ithaca, New York.

"The workers at Cornell are pushing back against the university's arrogance and greed," Daniel Vicente, director of UAW Region 9, said late Sunday. "With a $10 billion endowment, the administration can more than afford the members’ demands. Workers in Local 2300 are showing the university that they are willing to do what's needed to win what they deserve."