The following message was sent to all current members of the bargaining unit on March 11, 2025.

To all CGSU-UE Bargaining Unit Members:

I am writing to provide an important update about Cornell’s negotiations with the CGSU-UE on March 11. 

Cornell put comprehensive proposals on the table today. These offers address all of the open issues between the university and CGSU-UE that must be resolved for our first contract. In addition, the university is offering a $750 ratification bonus to all members of the bargaining unit as a sign of our commitment to promptly reach agreement.

We believe we have presented an excellent offer that addresses the key priorities students raised at the time of the election and is competitive with contracts recently signed at peer universities. You’ll be hearing more from us in the coming days about the specifics of our proposals and why you should accept it. In the meantime, you can review the details.

Good-faith collective bargaining requires both sides to make compromises to reach an agreement. We are pleased that over the last year, we have reached many tentative agreements on topics important to both the union and the university. Our proposals today address the open issues on language and economics and demonstrate the value that our graduate student workers bring to the university. 

Our proposals balance the CGSU-UE’s stated concerns with the economic realities of today’s world and stay true to Cornell’s fundamental principle of academic freedom and individual choice.

As we explained to the CGSU-UE, we made two comprehensive offers on a “dual track.” The “expiring offer” Cornell presented today is on the table “for a limited time only” – until March 25 at 12 p.m. I want to be sure that everyone understands why we have made our proposals in this way and what it means. 

Why Dual-Track Proposals?

On February 18, the CGSU-UE announced the date of April 8 to take a strike vote. This unilateral announcement surprised us and seemed premature as it preceded discussions between the parties on the union’s economic proposals. Our priority is to reach an agreement with the union. While we don’t want a strike because of the disruption it would cause to our entire community, we are prepared to meet the needs of our students if CGSU-UE decides to go on strike. 

Cornell is presenting this expiring offer with the hope to prompt CGSU-UE to engage in good-faith bargaining to reach a first contract. We believe that setting a deadline on accepting this offer will prompt the parties to focus and start negotiating in earnest. If the union is not engaged in good-faith bargaining, we will withdraw this offer, substitute a lesser offer, and focus on preparing to meet the university’s missions of education and research during the strike. 

What Does a Dual-Track Proposal Mean?

If the CGSU-UE bargaining team declines the offer we presented today by 12 p.m. on March 25 (which we referred to the union as the “Expiring Offer”), then at 12:01 p.m. on March 25 Cornell will withdraw certain terms and substitute them with less favorable proposals, which we referred to the union as the “Post 3/25 Offer.” 

We want the choice that we are presenting to the union and the bargaining unit members to be crystal clear. We have outlined in summary form the key terms of today’s Expiring Offer and the Post 3/25 Offer if it is not accepted before the deadline. If we end up substituting our less-generous offer on March 25 at 12:01 p.m., there is no guarantee that Cornell will be willing to return to the terms of our original Expiring Offer, or even close to that.

The Time is Now to Reach a Fair Agreement for Both Sides

It is our sincere desire that the CGSU-UE accept and recommend the Expiring Offer and that the bargaining unit members ratify it. We aren’t making this “dual-track” proposal to prevent you from getting the terms we are offering; we’re making it because it is Cornell’s best attempt for you to get those terms and to reach a deal.

I want to be clear that our offer is not “take-it-or-leave-it.” The purpose is to move the parties to a negotiated resolution with a meaningful agreement. With an agreement in place, we would be able to approach the end of the semester with certainty and allow all graduating students to focus on graduation. We are a community of scholars focused on problem solving, and we look forward to using our energy and focus to resolve the remaining issues and agree on our first contract.

I urge you to discuss and thoughtfully consider our proposals with your colleagues and the CGSU-UE. 

Sincerely,

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education