Day 29 on Strike: We are returning to our classrooms, but the fight continues

Our strike over the past 29 days has been an inspiring show of collective power and unity. Bolstered by the strong showing of solidarity from our community and the broader public, a supermajority of workers in our bargaining unit showed the College the value of our labor, our refusal to tolerate unfair labor practices, and our willingness to fight for the contract we deserve.

Rather than address their unlawful practices and negotiate in order to end the strike, the College responded with anti-union rhetoric, delay tactics, and attempts to divide our community. These choices are a disgrace to the College's stated values of equity and justice. These tactics are not just disrespectful, they undermine Wellesley’s educational mission.

Our members have been clear from the start: we are organizing for a fair, strong contract that reflects the value of our labor. That means wages we can live on, protections we can rely on, and a seat at the table we’ve more than earned. It also means that we cannot agree to a contract that significantly raises our workload with no justification, and no plan for how to deal with the impact that an increased workload would have on our students.

Despite the College’s efforts to slow walk negotiations, we have made a lot of progress toward a first agreement in the last few weeks. As the semester comes to a close, we are ending our current strike and will return to the classroom tomorrow for the last week of class, with our strength established and our community stronger than ever. While we are returning to work, the fight is not over. We have yet to reach a final agreement, and we will not be worn down by Wellesley’s anti-worker tactics. We will not stop fighting until we win a contract that reflects the value we bring to the community, and that allows us to continue doing the work that we love.

In solidarity,

Erin Battat
Katie Hall
Deb Bauer
Christa Skow
Mike Mavros

WOAW Bargaining Committee