Why are we striking?

After more than a decade of working with Wellesley College to address issues pertaining to non-tenure track (NTT) faculty including wages, titles and benefits – first individually and then as an organized committee (FIPAC) – we took the bold step to come together and form a union, Wellesley Organized Academic Workers (WOAW-UAW). 

WOAW-UAW represents approximately 30% of faculty ​​and teaches 40% of the courses across all disciplines, from Lecturers to Instructors in Science Laboratory to Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows. When we voted to unionize, 86% of eligible faculty cast a ballot, and of those 92% voted for unionization. Since May 2024, the WOAW-UAW bargaining committee has been negotiating with Wellesley over all issues pertaining to our work.  Despite 23 bargaining sessions, spanning nearly 80 hours of face-to-face bargaining and hundreds more hours writing contract proposals and counter proposals, Wellesley College is still engaging in unlawful conduct which is thwarting progress at the table on several key issues:

  • Workload. WOAW is fighting to maintain a 4 course workload for its members while the College continues to insist on a 5 course load—a 25% increase in teaching.  WOAW-UAW’s stance is that this increase in teaching will prohibit unit members from maintaining active engagement with students outside the classroom and will hurt our advising, mentoring and independent project time with students—many of the things both our students and we value. 

  • Compensation. WOAW is fighting to increase the base salary and salary growth of all NTT faculty. Wellesley College froze the starting salaries of NTT faculty at $55,000 from 2008 to 2020; since then, they have only marginally increased starting salaries, resulting in a large wage gap between faculty hired prior to 2008 and after 2008. The average starting salary of a Wellesley graduate with a bachelor’s degree is roughly equal to the starting salary of an NTT faculty member with a Ph.D. at Wellesley. Wellesley has refused to make salary offers that give NTT faculty a living wage without increasing their workload.

  • Job Security and Reappointment Rights. Currently, NTT faculty are reviewed by the College for reappointment every 1, 3, or 5 years depending upon their contract length.  At the moment, the College can choose to deny reappointment at any time for any reason; shorten contract lengths arbitrarily; or tell NTTs they are being denied reappointment for “staffing reasons.” In all of these situations, NTTs have no recourse. WOAW-UAW is fighting to make the standard for non-reappointment “just cause,” which means that the College has to have a legitimate reason for getting rid of somebody with documentation (and, in the case of performance-related non reappointment, warnings and opportunities to improve). WOAW-UAW is calling for the ability to grieve a denial of reappointment. Finally, WOAW-UAW is bargaining to guarantee their faculty won’t be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), an article the College refuses to bargain.

  • Prohibition Against Discrimination and Harassment. WOAW is advocating for members to have multiple options for addressing discrimination and harassment. Our proposal allows bargaining unit employees to pursue remedies through both the union grievance procedure and the Title IX process, either separately or simultaneously. The grievance procedure offers members a say in the supportive measures they would like to request and provides clear timelines for resolving issues. We believe that as a premier women’s college, Wellesley should allow members to report incidents when they feel emotionally ready and receive immediate supportive measures. Our proposal aligns with President Johnson’s congressional testimony and the Department of Education guidance, which confirms that collective bargaining agreements can establish grievance processes independent of Title IX.

  • Dependent Care and Tuition Benefit. Childcare costs in the Boston area are among the highest in the country, with infant care averaging over $20,000 annually. Childcare costs comprise approximately 30% of a Wellesley NTT faculty member’s current pre-tax starting salary. WOAW-UAW has proposed a $5,000 dependent care benefit for its members; however, the College has stated that if they provide this benefit for us they have to do it for everyone at the College. Based on our informal conversations with faculty and staff, we have one thing to say about this: please do! Additionally, many WOAW members hired before 2008 received a tuition benefit for dependents similar to what tenure-track faculty have now.  In 2008, the College eliminated that benefit for NTT faculty.  WOAW has proposed reinstating a tuition benefit for members.

  • Professional Development. We are currently fighting to maintain access to the robust professional development funds and opportunities that exist at Wellesley College. Additionally, NTTs rarely get any paid time off for professional development leave. We are hoping to expand access to leave for professional development, and ensure enough money is set aside for NTTs to attend conferences and work on professional projects which benefit time teaching in the classroom.

  • A voice in conversations around insurance and faculty housing policies via membership on the Faculty Benefits Committee. Prior to unionization, NTT faculty held two seats on the Faculty Benefits Committee. Upon unionization, the NTT members of this committee were asked to step down. We are asking the College to reinstate NTT members on to this committee so that we have a seat at the table whenever the College needs to negotiate updates to its insurance plans or negotiate new rents and policies for on-campus faculty housing, which NTTs utilize.

  • Rent Control and Relocation Benefit. NTT faculty seek guaranteed rent control and proper maintenance of faculty housing to ensure stable and affordable living conditions. With rising housing costs, securing rent control would provide financial predictability and stability. Additionally, we seek reimbursement for relocation expenses. Covering these costs would allow Wellesley to attract and retain talented NTT faculty.

  • Titles. WOAW is working to modernize and streamline NTT faculty titles across the College. The proposed change from Lecturer and Instructor of Science Laboratory to Assistant / Associate / Full Teaching Professor will better represent who we are as faculty both within the College and to the outside world when writing letters of recommendation and applying for external funding.

  • Leaves. We demand access to equitable medical and parental leaves.


The College is making a choice not to support its faculty and to instead engage in unlawful practice. Failure to negotiate a strong contract for WOAW-UAW faculty will not only hurt WOAW-UAW members, but also all Wellesley students, faculty, and staff.  Striking is always a last resort, and the College has pushed us to call a strike. We are asking the College to avert a strike by ceasing unlawful conduct and negotiating a fair contract prior to March 27. Help us win a fair contract by contacting the College President and the Board of Trustees here.