The Columbia University Student Workers Union decided to withdraw its demand for the university to divest its funds from Israel during a negotiation meeting this week. This union represents over three thousand undergraduate and graduate students.
Union members voted for this decision at a general assembly on Monday. SWC-UAW withdrew a contract clause titled 'Obligations under International Law,' which insisted that the university must divest from companies and state entities violating international law as defined by the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.
Furthermore, the union had demanded that the university publish its financial statements twice per fiscal year, including all direct and indirect assets and holdings, and allowed the union to present a 'list of organizations the University must divest from,' detailing the violations of international law by these structures.
The union's argument was based on the premise that its members, as workers creating value for the university, have a right to vote on the institution's investment decisions.
This withdrawal marks a significant shift in the union's political orientation. Previously, it actively supported the student movement in solidarity with Palestine since the start of the genocide in Gaza by Israel. More than 73,000 people have died since the start of Israel's attack on the enclave following attacks organized by Hamas in southern Israel in October 2023.
Financial divestment from Israel was a central goal of the student movement supporting Palestine in Columbia. This movement established the 'Gaza Solidarity Camp' and occupied the Hamilton Hall building in April 2024.
Following these actions, SWC-UAW passed a resolution in June 2024 supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. The union also sought the suspension of Columbia University's dual degree program with Tel Aviv University and the termination of plans to open a new facility in Tel Aviv.
After two raids by the New York Police Department on the camp and Hamilton Hall, the union attempted to secure a permanent ban on NYPD officers being present on the Morningside Heights campus through another resolution in June titled 'Police Off Campus.'
The union has been negotiating with Columbia University for a new contract since March 2025, initially expecting the first contract to expire in June. However, a complete deadlock persists due to disagreements over what constitutes a 'work issue.'
Since then, the union has proposed 34 contract points covering compensation and demands for job security in the age of artificial intelligence. The university has not responded to these proposals, stating that they fall outside the scope of the 2018 framework, which limits negotiations to academic or operational matters.
National Level Labor Relations law requires both the union and the university to negotiate mandatory subjects such as wages or working conditions. Meanwhile, Columbia plans to open its global center in Tel Aviv this summer.
