ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Union talks continue at Cornell. 

Interim President Michael Kotlikoff says contract negotiations between the university and Cornell Graduate Students United hit a bump in the road over union security. According to Kotlikoff, the CGSU wants a union shop arrangement, where grad student workers would be required to join the union.

Kotlikoff says Cornell opposes the suggestion and countered with a proposal allowing grad students to make their own decisions. “For those students who elect to become members of the union, Cornell has offered to promptly carry out union dues deductions from graduate student workers’ stipends, beginning with the first full pay period following receipt of the student’s written authorization. This would facilitate the union’s ability to collect dues for those students who wish to authorize this deduction from their stipends on their behalf. Students who chose not to become members of the union would not be required to do so,” Kotlikoff said.

“We want to be clear that Cornell is not opposing unionization of graduate student workers, and we are open to considering proposals other than the union shop that has been proposed. However, if the university were to agree to the union shop stipulation the CGSU-UE is now demanding, students who decline to join the union could be dismissed from their appointments and prohibited from holding future appointments. These students would no longer have a viable path to a degree at Cornell. Under the proposed union shop agreement, there is no option for students to remain graduate assistants if they object to joining the union,” Kotlikoff continued. Last year, grad students voted on allowing CGSU to become a local chapter of the UE union.

Cornell’s interim leader hopes for more productive talks between both sides.