Information for members
If the College won’t rectify its unlawful conduct so that meaningful progress can be made at the bargaining table, we are going on strike.
Strike date: Thursday, March 27
Dear WOAW members,
This is Erin, Deb, Katie, Mike, and Christa from the Bargaining Committee with an important announcement. Today we had our 23rd bargaining session with the College. We were disappointed to see that the College did not come with counters on key issues including Compensation, Workload, Appointments and Reappointments, Professional Development. On our end, passed proposals that the College had previously rejected, including the Mortgage Program, Academic Freedom, Artificial Intelligence, Relocation Assistance, and Dining. We made as much movement as we could on these proposals in an attempt to reach a compromise, and we reached agreement on Academic Freedom.
After 84 hours of negotiations, attended by 66% of our members; after a 93% yes on the Strike Authorization Vote and a rally with over 300 attendees; after hearing countless thin excuses for saying ‘no,’ and dealing with the College’s unlawful conduct, it has become clear that calling for a strike is the only path left to win a fair contract in a timely manner.
We are officially announcing a strike date: if the College does not cease unlawful conduct and negotiate a fair contract by 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday, March 26th, we will go on strike on Thursday, March 27th.
We are calling for a strike because Wellesley’s unlawful conduct has prohibited adequate progress on many issues critical to our unit, including:
Workload. We demand a 4-course workload.
Compensation. We demand an increase in the base salary and fair annual increases.
Job Security and Reappointment Rights. We demand a just-cause standard for non-reappointment and a grievance procedure for denial of reappointment.
Prohibition Against Discrimination and Harassment. We demand gold-standard protections to protect against discrimination and harassment.
Dependent Care and Tuition Benefit. We demand financial assistance for childcare and a tuition benefit.
Professional Development. We demand access to professional development funds and leaves.
Membership on the Faculty Benefits Committee. We demand a voice in discussions about faculty housing and insurance plans.
Housing. We demand rent control and maintenance in faculty housing and relocation expenses.
Titles. We demand titles that represent who we are as teaching-focused faculty.
Leaves. We demand access to equitable medical and parental leaves.
What do you do next?
Prepare to spend 20 hours/week on the picket line during our strike in order to be eligible for strike assistance ($500/week). Scroll down to the FAQ for more information and sign-ups.
Check your email for a note from your strike captain by the end of this week for information about signing up for picket shifts and various other roles.
Attend bargaining on Tuesday, March 25th from 1-5pm (RSVP here)
Attend our town hall (BUEs only) on Tuesday, March 25th, 7pm on Zoom (link to follow).
Immediate questions? Drop into Bargaining Committee Office Hours tomorrow, Wednesday 3/18, at 10-11am or 3-4pm (Zoom link in your email), or reach out to woaw.uaw@gmail.com or a Bargaining Committee member.
Annie Brubaker, Senior Lecturer and one of our core organizers, offers this insight on our situation:
“I've attended every one of our 24 bargaining sessions, and I'm deeply saddened by the College's positions on the value of our work. They seemed to be stuck in a place of punishing us for unionizing. This is a grossly missed opportunity to work with us and respect the integral roles we play in our learning community. If the financial health of the College truly rests on underpaying us, then we need to seriously reevaluate our priorities as an institution. Yes, we are all working within institutional constraints, but we still have choices - including how we allocate our budget, how we bargain, and who we want to be once we reach a fair and equitable contract.”
We are at the sprint at the end of the marathon. Striking is a last resort, and the College has pushed us to a place where we must call for a strike. Winning a strong first contract is critical. This contract will set the framework for our working conditions for years to come. The Bargaining Committee will continue to push as hard as we can at the table. We have offered to bargain every day, including over the weekend, prior to our strike date, and we hope the College averts a strike by rectifying its unlawful conduct so that we can negotiate a fair agreement. If the College does not avert a strike, we need everybody to join our picket lines to make this strike successful and to get us the fair contract that we deserve!
In solidarity,
Erin Battat
Deb Bauer
Katie Hall
Mike Mavros
Christa Skow
WOAW-UAW Bargaining Committee
Q: What is an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike?
An Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. A ULP strike is any refusal to work that was precipitated or lengthened by an unfair labor practice(s) caused or committed by the employer. The National Labor Relations Board writes that, “Employees who strike to protest an unfair labor practice committed by their employer are called unfair labor practice strikers. Such strikers can be neither discharged nor permanently replaced. When the strike ends, unfair labor practice strikers, absent serious misconduct on their part, are entitled to have their jobs back even if employees hired to do their work have to be discharged.”
Wellesley’s unlawful conduct, including refusing to provide information necessary to bargain and threatening to apply an unlawful protest policy to workers, has thwarted our ability to make progress while bargaining over key issues.
Q: If there is a strike, how long will it be?
In the event of a strike, the bargaining committee will decide on a length in consultation with members (that’s you!).
Q: When and how was a strike authorized?
The WOAW-UAW Bargaining Committee and Organizing Committee called for a Strike Authorization Vote after 19 bargaining sessions and over 70 hours of face-to-face negotiations. The vote opened on Friday, February 14th and closed Thursday, February 20th. 75% of the unit voted with 93% voting in favor of authorizing a strike if necessary
Q: What do I do while on strike?
During a strike, members will participate in various strike duties including picketing, talking to coworkers, political outreach, press outreach, and other strike coordination efforts. Eligibility for strike pay is based on your participation in strike activity.
Q: What makes a strike effective?
WOAW faculty and postdocs make up 30% of faculty and teach 40% of courses at Wellesley. When we withhold our labor, the College will be forced to make greater efforts to reach a fair agreement or else will cease to function as a top tier teaching college. The more of us who participate, the greater collective power we have.
When we demonstrate publicly our decision to strike to the broader community through picket lines while also leveraging pressure from community and political allies, we will increase pressure on the College respond to our demands.
Q: Can I face retaliation or get in trouble for being on strike?
Retaliation for organizing and striking is illegal. Additionally, by having a majority of our members on strike we send a clear message that the College cannot pick us off one-by-one. Solidarity is our greatest protection.
Q: Will I be paid while on strike?
The College has the right not to pay striking workers. In the event of a strike, members who complete strike duties will be eligible for $500 per week of strike pay from the UAW Strike and Defense fund. Additionally, we will fundraise for a hardship fund to provide further assistance to workers who experience emergency financial hardship due to lost pay.
Q: If I go on strike, can the College stop my health insurance?
Academic workers at colleges and universities across the country have gone on strike many times, and have never had their health insurance cut while on strike. Other companies, like John Deere, have threatened to cut off the healthcare coverage of striking workers, but ultimately backed down in the face of public pressure.
While the College has the right to stop your health insurance coverage if you are on strike, it is unlikely. If the College did cut of your healthcare coverage, you would have medical benefits paid through the UAW Strike and Defense Fund.
Q: Am I allowed to strike if I am an international worker?
International workers have the same rights under labor law to participate in union activities, including striking, as domestic workers do. Thousands of international workers at the University of California. the University of Washington, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai recently took strike votes and ultimately went on strike to win strong contracts. Our union will vigorously defend all members who either participate in or support a strike.
Q: Is it legal for us to go on strike?
Yes, but as with all other union action, our solidarity and willingness to be public is our best protection: there is strength in numbers. We’ll work to support each other and work with our elected leadership and other representatives to navigate any legal or other challenges as they arise.