Columbia University Replacing Graduate Students Working as TAs with Non-Union Adjunct Professors

In the latest standoff between Columbia University and the 140 unionized graduate student workers, who teach core curriculum, language, and writing classes, the university has now decided to remove them from their teaching duties for the upcoming semester, by replacing them with Non-Union Adjunct Professors.

Columbia University Campus

How did it all start?

In March 2015, Longxi Zhao, a PhD student and Teaching Assistant or TA in the department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Columbia, was terminated from his role without due diligence.

This led to a very strong students’ movement across several popular universities in USA, to legalize the formation of a workers’ union, and to give them a say in a university’s decision-making, when it comes to worker compensation and safety.

Where does the issue stand now?

Columbia University has now decided to remove 140 members of the Student Workers of Columbia (SWC) and United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2710 from their teaching duties, and replace them by hiring professors from other universities, on a contractual basis.

This comes after the university’s offer of a two per cent raise was convincingly rejected by the Graduate Student Unions, who deem the wages to be insufficient, considering the rising inflation in the US.

Most student workers are reportedly left with no option but to work two different jobs to make ends meet.

How did the Graduate Student Workers respond?

A flier was used, pointing out the compensation earned by the Executive Vice President of Arts and Sciences: Amy Hungerford, worth USD 894,000 a year, which is twenty-four times the pay of student workers in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, where she is a professor.

Where does that leave the Graduate Student Workers?

The Graduate Student Workers would be compensated for the upcoming Fall term; however, the situation remains unclear for the Spring term.

The teaching duties are crucial for many graduate students to land a permanent job in the future; however, the wages being offered are not deemed appropriate by members of the student worker union at Columbia University.