Session 23: Strike Date Announcement
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