Campus

OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM | The Time to Support Cornell’s Graduate Students Is Now

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 Last spring’s union election campaign may have ended with a disappointing result for the collective rights of Cornell’s graduate students, but Cornell Graduate Students United (CGSU) has continued to fight. In the past weeks, members of CGSU have been asking fellow graduate students at Cornell to vote about the future of their organizing strategy and the possibility of another election attempt. A secondary election attempt could make sense in this case. It is certainly not unprecedented; many unions, in all manner of industries, have had numerous elections before achieving recognition. In addition, graduate student turnover and the slim margin of defeat of the union in the election could mean a stronger possibility of a different outcome if a re-vote occurs.

Politics

KRAVITZ’S KORNER | Why Undergrads Should Be Against Graduate School Unionization

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The prospect of graduate student unionization at Cornell University is becoming a serious possibility. There has been much debate about the relative merits of this decision from the perspective of graduate students. In fact, Interim President Rawlings laid out his argument for why he feels it is not in their best interests to do so. But lost in this discussion is how a unionization of graduate students might adversely impact the undergraduate student body. Graduate student unionization may hurt undergraduate education

Graduate student teachers play a vital role in the education of undergraduates; they often offer the most direct and accessible source of academic assistance.

Politics

OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM | Cornell Is Wrong About Unionization

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Cornell and President Rawlings are wrong. There is really no other way to say it. Last week, President Rawlings sent an email letter out to all of campus, which forcefully attacked the concept of a graduate student union at Cornell.  I think the content and spirit of this letter were not only intellectually dishonest, but obviously supported anti-union propaganda. I say this only because the language of this letter is very similar to language used by companies against union campaigns for workers.