WOAW (Wellesley Organized Academic Workers) and the College met Tuesday afternoon, the first time since the Union began their strike on Thursday, Mar. 27. 

WOAW and the College reached tentative agreements for Union Rights and Access and Recognition for union members. However, the session did not address major proposals, such as compensation, workload and appointments and reappointment. The Union did not consider there to be enough progress made to end the strike.

Movements made

The College came with 16 proposals and a package of various benefits, including child care and paid medical leave.

The College offered a $5,000 child care benefit for BUEs with dependents six years and younger.

WOAW members said this proposal came unexpectedly and were hopeful the College could extend this policy to tenured faculty and staff.
The College also offered two semesters of paid medical leave that BUEs may take over the course of their careers. 

While the Union recognized the progress, they hoped to see a longer, more generous timeline for illness.

In another movement, the College guarantees that any case of alleged discrimination, harassment, or bullying can proceed to grievance and arbitration, reversing a firm stance they took in the past that would only allow the Union to proceed to grievance after arbitration and the College’s final actions.

  They did not provide definitive answers on the Union’s proposal to include a statement of non-discrimination on the basis of immigration status, in the case of a federal law change in the future.

The Immigration and Nationality Act already prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals based on their citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment, or referral for a fee. 

Disagreement remains

The College wrote in a campus-wide email that it presented the Union with “significant moves.”

Anne Brubaker, Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program, acknowledged the College’s efforts in benefits but said they failed to present a comprehensive package that included all their articles and top-priority issues. 

Despite going on strike, the Union members are frustrated by the lack of urgency and slow progress of bargaining from the College side. 

The Union offered to extend the Tuesday bargaining session and meet on Wednesday, but the College insisted on meeting on Thursday on their previously agreed-upon schedule.    

“It just seems they’re almost acting unbothered…There’s no sense of urgency from the College’s bargaining team,” said Jacquelin Woodford, Lecturer in Chemistry.

The College strongly disagrees with that assertion, said the College in a statement to the News. They continued to propose third-party mediation, through a neutral private mediator, as federal mediators are no longer a viable option.

“The union continues to strike and shows no urgency around the College’s request to pursue private mediation – a tried and true method of resolving labor disputes,” said the College.

Brubaker rejected the College’s characterization of the strike as premature.

“We feel like in some ways, yes, we were striking because of the sticking points, but we were also striking to get them back to the bargaining table,” said Brubaker.

Brubaker also rejected the idea that bargaining has reached a point where mediation is necessary.

“And I know that they have suggested that we were at an impasse, and we needed mediation. But an impasse isn’t the same as not showing up and countering our proposals in a meaningful way,” said Brubaker.

“We call on the union to end the strike, focus on the critical work at the negotiating table, and allow students to return to their usual classes,” Coile and Slaboden wrote in the email.

In an email statement to the News, Brubaker wrote, “The College announcement from Provost Coile mentions ‘retirement benefits’ but this was not in the proposal package.”

In the meantime, WOAW’s bargaining update stated that on the evening of Apr. 1, the bargaining team sent another comprehensive package to the College ahead of bargaining on Apr. 3. This is the second comprehensive package, which includes information about all articles, that the Union has sent to the College.

The College and WOAW-UAW will return to bargaining Thursday, Apr. 3.