(ITHACA, NEW YORK) – United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2300-represented Members employed at Cornell University are speaking out about unsustainable working conditions and declining living standards despite the institution’s nearly $10 billion endowment.

Contract negotiations are currently taking place at Cornell University during a historic wave of Unionization at college and universities across the country as Workers continue to stand up and demand justice on and off the job.  Local 2300 and Cornell kicked off contract bargaining in early June with the current agreement expiring on June 30th.

In a new video released by the UAW - We are the Heart, Soul, and Backbone of Cornell, Workers shared their struggles to make ends meet as their wages have stagnated and the cost of living continues to rise.

In all, more than 1,000 Members are demanding a living wage, cost-of-living adjustments to protect against inflation, and increased staffing, among other key demands.

Gopini Lama, a Food Service Worker at Cornell University, says in the video: “House is double. Tax is double.  Food is double.  And tuition is double also.  Everything doubled, but our pay did not double.”

Since 2020, the University’s endowment has increased by a staggering 39% while many workers can no longer afford to live in Ithaca or even pay for parking on campus.

“I don’t own a single thing in this life except for a twelve-year-old car,” says Mitja Bontempo, a Gardener at the university. “I don’t have the money to marry and have kids if I want to.  They take us for granted.  We are not adequately recognized and compensated.  That’s the bottom line.”

“We’re chronically short-staffed.  We’re chronically dealing with at least one or two positions absent,” says Leo Louis, a Greenhouse Grower at the University. “So that’s where you get into a situation where you’re working seven, eight days in a row.  But you don’t get overtime, so Workers burn out.  So, then you’re more likely to lose more people.”

To Directly Access This Labor News Story And To Watch The Video, Go To: UAW Members at Cornell University Speak Out Ahead of Contract Expiration - UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America