The 2026-05 Vacancy Election Nominations opened on 2026-04-16 and closed at midnight on 2026-04-25. Details can be found on the election announcement post.
President
Anika Erickson
Tutor at Hacherl Research and Writing Studio
Candidate declined to provide a statement
Kaitlyn Minnote
Alternative Text Assistant at the DAC
Hey y’all! I’m Kaitlyn, I’m a junior majoring in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Community Organizing, and I’m currently a member of your 2026 Joint Bargaining Committee, as well as 1/3 of OSE Leadership. Having been on the bargaining committee for the past two years, I’ve experienced firsthand the hypocrisy and austerity our administration brings to every interaction with workers on our campus. Having worked as a Program Support Staff for the Urban Planning department for two years, and now as an Alt Text Assistant in the DAC, I’ve experienced a consistent devaluation of our labor and lived experience as both students and workers. As an incredibly essential and widespread workforce, we have the power to push back against these exploitative practices and make change to our broader working and living conditions. WAWU brings together the most lovely and revolutionary labor organizers, but no union is complete without every voice in the room. Having voices from every workplace, with every kind of opinion, is the best way we can ensure all student workers are treated with respect and care in their jobs. I’d be honored to continue empowering our union to achieve a just and worker-centered future as your next president.
Financial Secretary
Lily Eilebrecht
Math Fellow – Math Dep’t.
My name is Lily Eilebrecht, and I’m running for WAWU Financial Secretary in order to ensure that our finances are secure, well-managed, and democratic. Owing to the mostly procedural nature of the position I don’t have a huge amount to say, but I care a lot about direct democracy and the long-term success of our union, and I’d like to keep things running smoothly.
Recording Secretary
Connor Haines
Center for Instructional Innovation: Web Developer
My name is Connor, and I’m a Junior, studying Computer Science and Astronomy. Over the past two years, I’ve worked as an OSE in ATUS and The Foundation, and an ESE Research Assistant. I first became an active member of WAWU nearly a year ago in the Spring of 2025. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working as the Sergeant at Arms on the Executive Board, as one of three members of OSE Leadership, and as an ESE representative on the Joint Bargaining Committee.
My time as Sergeant at Arms, filling in wherever was needed, showed me how difficult but important the role of Recording Secretary truly is. This experience taught me meticulous record-keeping builds transparency, ensuring membership representation continues to be the driving force in our union. I would be honored to serve as your Recording Secretary and will continue to work to ensure strong rights and protections for OSEs and ESEs at Western.
Sergeant-At-Arms
Haley Meerdink
Residential Advisor- ResLife
Hi my name is Haley Meerdink. I am currently a second year at Western and a residential advisor in Alma Clark Glass. I am a sociology and political science double major. I am a member of the bargaining committee and I am running for sergeant-at-arms! I am so excited to organize for our union and get even more involved. I would love to get connected with as many student workers as I can and do my best to make them feel welcomed in WAWU.I believe we as student workers and union members have so much power to push change forward and I’m so excited to be a part of that. Thank you for considering me for sergeant-at-arms!
Trustee
Jase Kaeberlein
Stage Technician, CFPA; Event Technician, Viking Union
I’m Jase, a stage technician within the College of Fine and Performing Arts, as well as an Event Technician with the Viking Union. I’ve had the chance to serve on WAWU’s Advocacy & Contract Enforcement Committee for almost a year, as well as on this year’s Bargaining Committee! I’ve been involved with OSE’s PERC filing as well as maintaining our membership records, conducting dues verification, and other administrative tasks – I know how important it is to keep good records and to have people cross-check each other’s work to ensure transparency, and I hope to support that in this role!
Head Steward
Becca Brock
Sales Clerk at the AS Bookstore
Candidate declined to provide a statement
Willow Giorgini
Residential Advisor- ResLife
I’m interested in representing Reslife in the executive board because I’m passionate about making sure our work is taken into consideration whenever we make a decision as a group. I’ve also worked as a housing Desk Attendant and for three summer’s I’ve worked an ESE position in the advising center. I’ve been active in WAWU for as long as I’ve been working at Western and I’m passionate about creating a long-lived, prosperous labor union that advances the cause of college affordability for all of us. Solidarity forever!
Frances Wankowski
Program Support Staff, English Dept.
Next year: Resident Advisor, Buchanan Towers
I do this. I’ve been doing this. I’m what you’re looking for, and I’ve got my eyes on you, WAWU! Let’s move together towards a JUST future- OUR future.
Grace Rodriguez
Fitness Instructor in Wade King Recreation Center
Hello friends! My name is Grace (she/they); I’m a junior in the ENVS department and work as a dance instructor at Wade King Recreation Center. Like many of you, a mixture of feelings have been surfacing more intensely in viewing the increased separation of immigrant families, loss of hope, and general distrust amoung eachother. I beleive our seperation to be our greatest disadvantge and our role on this earth to keep eachother safe. At a community level, it is within this space, created by us and for us, that we aim to know eachother deeply and and keep our shared, interconnected struggles at our center—and fight for what we need, always! I’ve worked on multiple committies, but the most relevant to this postion of Head Steward are ACE and general organzing, both building upon eachother in a way. It is my hope to be a reliable source for my coworkers.This movement has already been sustained by many hands and I’m grateful to be working with people who make the process even more meaningful 🙂
Voting for the 2026-05 Executive Board Vacancy Election opens on 2026-05-09 and closes on 2026-05-16.