Update on our union
Many of you received an email from Joyce Lopes regarding the Operational Student Employee’s ongoing union recognition campaign. In it she correctly states that we have voted to authorize a work stoppage, but incorrectly states that the administration “unable to formally recognize OSEs as a bargaining unit without legislative approval.” While the administration might choose to take the position that they don’t want to recognize our democratic choice to form a union, it is simply not true to say they are prohibited from forming a union..
The Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) and the courts have long held that there is nothing legally preventing western from voluntarily recognizing the OSE’s majority intent to form a union (and in fact Attorney General Nick Brown conveyed this to us in person last year). It’s true that a statute – had it passed – would have created a framework for bargaining with OSEs that would have been preferable – and would have required WWU to recognize the OSEs majority, which is very different from the claim that Joyce made in her email about WWU requiring a statute to move forward with recognition of OSEs.
Operational Student Employees have made it very clear that they want to form a union with WAWU/UAW and negotiate a contract with WWU. Over the past 16 months, a majority of OSEs have demonstrated and voiced their need for a union Three (3) times. The first two times through authorization cards and this third time through their 94% yes strike authorization vote. As Joyce noted in her email, the University agreed to pay equity with their Educational Student Employee (ESE) peers after speaking with OSE leaders. This means that we would anticipate little to no new costs if the terms of the ESE Collective Bargaining Agreement were to be applied to OSEs. However, OSEs need more than pay equity with their peers. They need the 30 day layoff protections, they need the same sick leave accrual, they need the guaranteed paid training that ESEs won in their contract. Above all, they need a grievance method through which they can hold the university accountable. WAWU-UAW has been a powerful and key ally in the state legislature defending funding for higher education in the last three legislative sessions. Adding OSEs formally through recognition will add more power to our collective demand for a fully funded Western. OSEs are fighting for the same right we have to be at the table when changes to this institution occur, it’s time to show solidarity to them in their fight for equity.
Next steps
There is a Strike Town Hall on Thursday, May 15th at 5pm in Miller Hall 152 – anyone is welcome and encouraged to come to and ask any questions.
In the meantime, you can show support by asking President Randhawa, Joyce Lopes, and any other administrator to cite where in Washington State law they believe they find a prohibition against voluntarily recognizing us and bargaining a contract. Absent such documentation, you can ask them to please recognize our unit so that Operational Student Employees can have the same rights/protections as Educational Student Employees. This is not a good time for the University administration to avoid recognizing our democratic choice amidst such political and economic uncertainty, especially when doing so will have little to no fiscal impact.
Communications from Admin
May 13, 2025: Joyce Lopes Email to Faculty/Staff
Mar. 10, 2025: Liz Parkes Email
Jan. 28, 2025: Admin Response to OSE Letter
OSE Communication to Admin re Wages