By Monday May 4th 2026, WAWU and WWU administration had met four times… nearly five… Five if it weren't for a surprise cancellation on our bargaining team just after 8AM day of.
Here's a little recap of what's been happening at, and away, from the bargaining table!
During our third session on April 20th, we made some progress, Tentatively Agreeing to our strikes article, ensuring our right as student workers not to cross a picket line! But we didn't see a counter proposal from Western on our wages, training or anti discrimination articles…
So what else happened?
In the following session on April 27th, WWU Admin passed WAWU their counter for our Immigration Article, and all we saw was red… 80% of the article had been trashed in a counter they deemed fair and within their legal obligations.
And then comes May!
May marks the last full month that WAWU is willing to wait for an OSE contract – no more waiting for Admin to fulfill their side of the bargain – No more surprises, stalling or cuts to existing articles, currently protecting student workers…
So what did we do?
We fought back. Hard. We held a May Day Action, celebrating campus labor and solidifying our solidarity networks of students, facility workers, community members and all the workers of Whatcom county at large. Hundreds of students, staff, and community members gathered this May Day, to celebrate International Workers Day and to demand that Western moves on negotiations toward a just contract and a just future.
And we fought back again on May 5th when the admin called out sick and went on vacation…
The bargaining committee and union members mobilized. At 1:30PM on Monday, our proposals in hand, we went to HRs offices to deliver the work we had spent the last week perfecting. And what did we find? Only one member of WWU’s bargaining team had come into the office that day.
OSEs, and all student workers, across campus, deserve a fair contract now. Join us for our next session, Friday May 15th in the viking union room 567.
When we fight, WE WIN!