ITHACA, N.Y. — Workers at Cornell University represented by the United Auto Workers began to strike Sunday night, the effects of which have reverberated across the Ivy League school’s campus as it scrambles to find people to plug up its staffing shortage.
UAW officials started the strike the night before thousands of new students were scheduled to arrive at Cornell for the start of the fall semester. The targeted strike is meant to make Cornell meet the demands of the UAW in a simmering contract fight that has dragged on since April.
The strike was approved by about a 94% vote of the 1,200 university workers represented by the UAW, according to the union. Nearly all have decided not to return to work and many have dedicated their time to picketing. Cornell has turned to staff and faculty across departments — and even retirees — with requests to fill in shifts in dining and building care.
Chief among the union’s goals are a record wage increase of 25% over four years, a demand that the UAW reduced from 45% in the lead up to declaring a strike. According to the UAW, the average member of the bargaining unit they represent at Cornell — most of which are food service workers, cooks, and custodians — make about $22 an hour, a wage that workers and union representatives have said doesn’t meet the high cost of living in the Ithaca area.
The Ithaca Voice reviewed what Cornell University and the United Auto Workers have made public about the discussions at the bargaining table. A table reflecting some of the core issues being negotiated can be found at the bottom of this article. Click here to look at it.
Union representatives and workers have continually pointed to Cornell’s $10 billion endowment and years of healthy revenue. The university made its most recent audited financial statement made public, which shows that between June 2022 and June 2023, Cornell ended the fiscal year with over $14 billion in assets.
Cornell emphasized in a statement that a “vast majority” of its endowment is restructured to specific purposes, and that the “responsible management” of the university’s resources makes Cornell “one of the best employers in the region and state outpacing local competitors.”
Many workers say they expect to receive nearly as much as their normal income through the UAW’s strike fund, and New York state unemployment insurance, which they would need to apply for.
Brian Bartholomew, a cook who has worked at Cornell for 10 years, rallied at the entrance of the Ithaca Mall on Triphammer Road with over a dozen other UAW members on Monday.
Bartholomew currently makes a wage of $21.99 an hour and called the UAW’s demands for increased pay “a drop in the bucket” for Cornell. Bartholomew said he expects to make at least as much money striking as he normally does, but it appears he will make more once he starts to receive state unemployment insurance.
The UAW’s strike fund compensates workers up to $500 a week. According to New York state’s unemployment insurance benefit calculator, Bartholmew will receive an estimated weekly unemployment check of $439 based on his typical income.
“Sadly, with unemployment and the strike pay, I might make more money standing right here,” Bartholomew said. “Honestly, we don’t lose much standing out here.”
Already the work stoppage has shown major impacts for Cornell dining and building care.
Cornell University’s website shows that out of the 33 eateries Cornell dining normally operates, just seven are open. Management, temp workers, and the few workers that have chosen to cross the picket line are keeping those locations open, although the offerings at all locations have been greatly reduced.
Bear Necessities, a convenience store and grill, normally serves “deluxe burgers, hot chicken sandwiches, delicious french fries, and other mouth-watering comfort foods” is unable to serve its short-order menu items. Instead, its offerings are reduced to just prepared food and convenience store fare, like chips and snack bars.
A manager running Bear Necessities told this reporter to leave after taking photos of the empty dining area and convenience store. A manager at the Toni Morrison Dining Hall on Cornell’s campus, where the university has focused its resources to feed new students and families, said they could not allow this reporter to enter the dining space without a Cornell ID.
In emails, department heads at Cornell have asked faculty and staff to take their trash out of the building and to the nearest dumpster, and curb the amount of things they throw away. Or, if they’re willing, take an assignment to shore up Cornell’s dining and building maintenance staffing levels.
Benjamin Z. Houlton, dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Science, sent an email Tuesday asking that faculty and staff “discuss your priorities and availability for this week with your supervisor or manager and register for a reassignment” in dining, building care, or the Statler Hotel on Cornell’s campus.
A single patron sits in Bear Necessities’ dining space as workers represented by the United Auto Workers stage strike over better wages. A similar email was also sent to all Cornell library staff members by Library Human Resources Director Bonnie Bailey, soliciting employees to volunteer for shift coverage in other parts of the school.
“University HR has set up a way for those who wish to do so to volunteer for temporary reassignments to help support our students and the university-wide critical safety and service needs,” Bailey wrote Wednesday morning. “All are welcome – you do not need to hold a similar role at the university or have prior training to help.”
Cornell officials have reached out to former employees too. In an email sent to a Cornell retirees mailing list, Cornell Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Christine Lovely wrote that the university is in “unprecedented territory and facing staffing challenges.”
Retirees interested in stepping into a support role were instructed to contact one of two temporary worker agencies, Stafkings or Express Employment Professionals, in order to receive an assignment while Cornell workers are on strike.
She said, “Your support could make a significant difference in maintaining the smooth operation of our campus during this challenging time.”
The turbulence at Cornell was spotlighted by UAW President Shawn Fain when he addressed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.
“The American working class is in a fight for our lives,” Fain said. “And if you don’t believe me, just last night blue collar workers, UAW members, at Cornell University had to walk on strike for a better life, because they’re fighting corporate greed. And our only hope is to attack corporate greed head on.”
Chrstine Johnson, president of UAW Local 2300, the local union chapter that represents Cornell workers, said Fain’s comments “solidified the connection” the international UAW has with the local chapter.
She said the UAW is prepared to strike for “as long as it takes” to get a fair contract.
Cornell University has repeatedly stated that the UAW has declined to allow a federal mediator to participate in the negotiation process. Asked about this, Johnson said the union “is still bargaining in good faith,” citing the drop the UAW made in the pay increase it is demanding.
“Just because they don’t like what we’re saying to them doesn’t mean that we’re not bargaining,” Johnson said, adding that she thought a mediator would probably benefit the university in negotiations. “Putting another buffer between us and the power structure at Cornell only benefits them at this point.”
A Cornell spokesperson said the university is “committed to continuing this process, with or without a mediator of the UAW’s choice, until the parties can reach a complete tentative agreement.”
Support for UAW workers has swelled among the Ithaca community, as well as local and state and state representatives.
The City of Ithaca’s Common Council released a letter of support for the UAW on Monday. Nine of the council’s members signed on. New York State Assemblymember Anna Kelles and State Senator Lea Webb, both Democrats, have voiced their support for union workers and made appearances at UAW rallies.
Republican Tompkins County Legislator Mike Sigler, who is running against Webb to represent New York’s 52nd State Senate district, has voiced his support for the UAW. He joined a union picket line on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday morning, the university and the UAW do not have any scheduled negotiation sessions, according to the representatives at the UAW, who said they’re expecting the university to reach out to schedule the next meeting.
A Cornell spokesperson said in a statement to The Ithaca Voice, “We look forward to an opportunity to return to the bargaining table.”
Ithaca Voice Editor in Chief Matt Butler contributed reporting.