What happened at the table?
Yesterday WAWU sat down with WWU for the second session of bargaining. WAWU applied pressure, passing another 6 contract articles across the table for western to review. WWU countered, passing our Bargaining Committee members a total of 10 articles they were willing to tentatively agree to, and 2 counter propsals.
ESE have been working under the current CBA since spring of 2024 after going on strike to make management move towards a fair contract. Now management is trying to change that contract and reduce its effective protections. Just days after OSEs received full recognition from the state, and passed a card check election run by WA’s Public Employees Relation Commission.
WWU proved they aren’t afraid to gut our contract protections, passing us proposals on our Trainings Article in which our current language had been manipulated, and gutting the Empowering Prevention and Inclusive Communities article, designed by ESE on the first bargaining committee to protect student workers from discrimination and harassment on the job. We refuse to let this article be dropped from the contract.
If this pattern from WWU continues, our Wages article is likely to be the next item on the chopping block. Our labor is irreplaceable on this campus, and wage increases keep students working and attending Western. The only way we get to keep and improve our contract is by showing Western YOU care about YOUR contract.
How can I help ensure a contract that hasn’t been weakened by the Boss?
Talk to your coworkers and come see the bargaining take place on April 20th starting at 9:30AM in the Viking Union conference rooms on the fourth floor.
What’s next?
Operational student workers can now JOIN WAWU as members! Join the majority to protect your on the job protections and wages!
Reminder:
Bargaining is always open to the WWU Student worker community! Bargaining committee members are an elected body of your peers fighting for improved working conditions for ALL student workers at WWU and they need you to help hold Western accountable.