Cornell University's graduate workers union plans to launch an open letter Tuesday calling for higher pay, support for international workers and larger university contributions to Ithaca schools and transit.
Cornell Graduate Students United-UE, Local 300, said it will hold a noon press conference September 15 on the Ithaca Commons.
The letter is being developed with several Ithaca community organizations, according to the union. Its demands include funding for international graduate workers facing visa problems, a living wage for graduate workers, an end to what the union calls unfair austerity measures, and substantially increased payments to TCAT and the Ithaca City School District. The advisory does not provide the letter's full text or a proposed dollar amount for those demands.
Union raises pay and visa concerns
The union says Cornell recently declined to negotiate over funding for two international workers who cannot return to the United States because of visa issues. It argues that the decision could affect how similar cases are handled, but the advisory does not include Cornell's account of the discussions.
The union also says the average graduate worker's pay is $2,614 below a living wage in Ithaca and that workers on fellowships earn still less. The advisory does not explain the period or calculation behind that gap. It cites Cornell's $11.8 billion endowment and says the university raised $6.8 billion through its “To Do the Greatest Good” campaign while reducing funding for teaching, research and staff support since June 2025. Those financial and budget claims are the union's; the advisory provides no response from Cornell.
Schools and transit are part of the dispute
The union says Cornell will contribute $700,000 to the Ithaca City School District this year, or about $137 per student. It compares that figure with payments by Princeton University and estimates Cornell would pay $10 million in school taxes without its tax exemption. Those comparisons and the tax estimate were not independently documented in the advisory.
- Bass Pro Shops opening draws closer at Eastview Mall as Victor hiring event begins next week
- New York pension costs set to ease for most workers, rise again for police and fire employers
- Cornell alumnus to discuss racial labor market inequality
- Democratic labor leaders criticize Blakeman at Amherst canvass
CGSU-UE also says Cornell's contribution to TCAT is hundreds of thousands of dollars below what the transit agency requested. The advisory does not specify either the request or the university's contribution.
The union lists its executive board and members, the Ithaca Teachers' Association, Tompkins County Workers' Center, Cayuga Medical Center Nurses' Union, several local elected officials and other labor and community groups among those associated with Tuesday's event. The corrected notice changed an earlier reference to a September 12 letter launch to September 15; the press conference remains scheduled for noon on the Ithaca Commons.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.