Student Workers of Columbia is in the process of negotiating a new contract, and the Columbia administration has responded by eliminating graduate instructor positions and recruiting scabs to replace us. We are asking our allies to let their colleagues know, and to tell Columbia they won’t take our jobs by signing this pledge.
PhD students at Columbia frequently teach classes as Instructors of Record. These are positions which can wield significant leverage in the event of a strike–which is why Columbia is trying to replace us with adjuncts who it hasn’t recognized as a union. About 200 members of our unit have been told by Columbia that they won’t be teaching next semester; simultaneously, Columbia is recruiting for these jobs on Interfolio–where they’re listed as one-year “Lecturer in Discipline” positions–and by emailing department heads directly to solicit applications “due to higher than expected class sizes.” These are scab jobs which are meant to break our labor power! Please spread the word, add your name to this pledge, and, if you are able, consider donating to our mutual aid fund, which allows us to mount a strong strike threat.