labor UAW and Cornell Reach Tentative Agreement, Union Says After 12-Hour Session

Cornell agrees with UAW to end a wage tier system that started in 1997.

Mark H. Anbinder 14850.com
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UAW and Cornell reach tentative agreement, union says after 12-hour session

August 28, 2024 by Mark H. Anbinder in 14850 Today

Over a week after some 1,200 union employees of Cornell University walked off the job, leaving food service, building care, grounds, and other staff areas sparse as students arrived in town for the fall semester, the United Auto Workers and Cornell negotiating teams reached a “tentative agreement” late Tuesday night that could bring the strike to an end.

The tentative agreement came “after 12 hours at the table” on Tuesday, following another bargaining session on Monday, UAW Local 2300 said in a statement shortly before midnight Tuesday night.

Union members must still ratify the agreement, with voting planned for this coming Sunday and Monday, but if it’s ratified, “we would return to work on Tuesday, September 3rd,” the union says.

“Over the life of the agreement, members will see an average increase of 21%-25.4% in hourly wages over the four years, depending on grade and hire/job rate,” said the UAW on Tuesday night. A sharp increase in pay to bring wages in line with the actual cost of living in Tompkins County was one of the union’s key demands.

Cornell University had already agreed to another key demand, that a cost of living adjustment, or COLA, be included in the contract in addition to annual raises, in order to keep up with inflation, and has agreed to a four-year contract, instead of the five-year term the university originally sought. 

According to the UAW, Cornell has also agreed to end a “tier” wage system that maintained a higher pay rate for staff who started their jobs in June 1997 or earlier, added longevity lump sum bonuses, “as well as several other economic demands.”

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“As with any contract, the details are numerous and complicated, so it will take a lot of time to properly compile and condense the information, as we have upwards of 40 demands that were agreed upon, without counting wages,” the UAW said in its statement. They plan to announce voting times and locations later this week, and the membership vote would culminate with Labor Day.