BACK DUES AND FERPA FAQ
dues questions
Why do I owe dues to CGSU-UE?
When graduate workers democratically ratified our Contract, we agreed that everyone who benefits from our Contract must pay their fair share as a condition of employment. Article 3 of our Contract, Union Security, provides the full information about the ways to pay your fair share into contract enforcement.All workers contributing their fair share is essential for our Union to have the resources needed to meaningfully defend graduate workers’ rights, since Cornell continues to undermine our contract. Dues go directly to CGSU-UE Local 300 to provide resources to maintain our independent, democratic, rank-and-file union. A portion of dues goes to our Strike and Defense fund, which is dedicated to legal defense, strikes, and similar efforts to protect the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Local. Some of our dues go to UE National, which supports us with institutional knowledge, staff, training, and legal support.
How can I pay my back dues?
There are two ways to pay your back dues. You may either: Sign an agreement to have those dues deducted from your payroll (backdues.cgsu.org),Mail a check to CGSU-UE. We recommend Option 1, because this will ensure that your back dues are paid automatically. If you would prefer Option 2, email finance@cgsu.org for more information.
Why do I owe dues from before I signed a membership or agency fee card?
Dues deduction began on July 31, 2025, so all graduate workers who made an election before that date have been paying dues since then. If you signed your card after July 31, 2025, you must pay any outstanding dues starting from the July 31, 2025 pay period (or from the date you matriculated). This ensures that everyone who benefits from our contracts contributes their fair share.While fellows are not covered by the protections of our contract (including the Union Security clause), we strongly encourage everyone to become a member so that we can build our power to protect ourselves and fight for better working conditions. Our contract provides graduate workers with a grievance procedure; historic academic due process provisions; safeguards from overwork and unjust academic discipline; protections for international workers; raises to our stipends; dental and vision subsidies; and free TCAT passes. Since all graduate workers benefit from our contract, everyone has to pay their fair share into contract enforcement.
Why do I owe dues for a few pay periods after I signed a membership or agency fee card?
Cornell management made an administrative error. Cornell can take weeks to process membership and agency cards, prolonging the initiation of dues deduction sometimes for as many as three pay periods. Please check your pay slip on Workday to check when your dues deduction began. We have filed multiple grievances over Cornell’s delayed processing of our cards. We will always hold Cornell accountable for creating issues for our members.
Who can I contact with questions about the amount of back dues I owe?
Please email membership@cgsu.org with any questions. We encourage you to check your payslips on Workday to track dues deduction. You can access each of your payslips on Workday by clicking on the “My Payslips” button on your homepage and clicking “View.” You will see the amount of dues deducted from your payslip in the “CGSUE Dues Deduction” line under the “Deductions” section. If there is any discrepancy, please email membership@cgsu.org.
Do I owe back dues for when I was on a leave of absence?
Cornell does not inform us when an in-unit worker goes on leave. You do not owe back dues for any period during your leave of absence (for health, mental health, or other reasons). If you were contacted to pay dues for a period when you were on leave, please email the documentation of that leave to membership@cgsu.org.
FERPA QUESTIONS
What is the FERPA waiver and why do I need to sign it?
The FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) waiver is a standard form that allows CGSU-UE to access basic information about each worker. By signing your FERPA waiver, you give CGSU-UE permission, when necessary, to access any information to properly represent you, including in any disciplinary cases or emergency situations.
The FERPA waiver also provides access to your pay rate. Your dues rate is 1.44% of your pay, so we need to know your pay rate to confirm whether the correct amount of dues are being deducted. According to our Constitution, members who have not signed a FERPA waiver are charged dues based on the rate of the highest paid person in the unit.
Who can I contact to confirm that my FERPA waiver has been properly processed?
Since the FERPA waiver is managed by Cornell, we are unable to confirm whether the form has been submitted. To check if your FERPA has been properly processed, please review your payslip in Workday. Starting from the pay period after submitting your FERPA waiver, 1.44% of your gross pay should be deducted in the “CGSUE Dues Deduction” line under the “Deductions” section. We can also check the monthly dues report to confirm proper dues deduction for your pay rate.
If you previously signed your FERPA waiver but see the incorrect amount of dues being deducted, you can resolve this by signing the FERPA waiver again. When you first signed the FERPA waiver, you may have accidentally set the expiration date to the day that you signed. This is a common mistake due to the convoluted format of Cornell’s FERPA form.
Do I have to sign a FERPA waiver?
We strongly recommend signing your FERPA waiver. Signing your FERPA waiver allows us to access your information in cases of disciplinary action or emergency situations, as well as to automatically adjust the 1.44% dues rate to your actual pay rate each appointment period.
Alternatively, you can email a screenshot from Workday of your gross pay rate to membership@cgsu.org to have your dues rate manually adjusted to 1.44% of your pay. However, if you do not sign your FERPA waiver, you will be responsible for emailing a new screenshot of your base pay at the start of every appointment period.