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wellesleyunderground · 5 years

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WU chats with Wellesley College Food Service Union about current negotiations

Wellesley College is currently in negotiation with the food service workers union and are asking them to give up some significant issues as outlined below.

They are proposing 15% pay cuts to new employees in dining.

This is the lowest paid, most diverse, and most female group in the Union.

These pay cuts would mean new employees coming would earn less in inflation-adjusted dollars than new employees in the early 90's.

These cuts would mean that a lot of new employees will not be earning a living wage (as a base wage) if they have kids or other dependents.

There are proposed cuts to leadership positions within the Union and lower rates for new people who move into these positions and the wage freeze to current employees.

These are positions that people spend years working toward. The cuts would put Lead Custodian and Head Groundskeeper below early 90's levels when adjusted for inflation.

There are proposed reductions in what counts as overtime.

They would like that any paid time off not be counted toward overtime. If you call out sick or at a funeral, and come in and work 16 hours the next day you will not get overtime. This includes vacation, personal time and Jury duty.

WU Managing Editor Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 spoke with union representative Gloria Figueroa about the contract negotiation.

WU: Thank you for speaking with us. What has your experience been like working at the College? What has your experience been like as a member of the Independent Service and Maintenance Union of America (IMSEUA)?

Working at the College is a rewarding experience in which I get to form close bonds with students, faculty, and other staff. But recently the College has not been treating me and my coworkers as well as they used to. The Union has been a great support network that has fought for union employees such as me and allowed me and others to build a decent life.

WU: Overall how has the College treated you in the past? Has this changed in recent years, in your view?

In the past, the College has treated its unionized blue collar workers with fairness and respect. In recent negotiations, the College has tried to undo its fair treatment of unionized employees. The College's focus is more and more on what they can force unionized employees to accept, not what will provide them with a good middle-class life. As a result, they're trying to slash wages and benefits to below what they were 30 years ago.

WU: What were the justifications that the College gave for these proposed changes to the contract?

The College claim their reasons for seeking to slash wages and overtime are issues of "fairness." They claim dining services employees earn too much because other workers in the often low paid and exploited dining services industry earn less. They claim lead positions earn too much because others in the union earn less, without offering to give those other union employees higher wages. They claim that vacation, sick time, bereavement, and other paid time off besides holiday pay must not count to be fair to academic employees, who are non-unionized and don't receive this benefit - when the College is free to supply this benefit to academic employees whenever it chooses. But regardless of what they say, it's clear that the College is trying to save money on the backs of its most vulnerable workers.

WU: If the proposed changes go through, what would be some of the impacts on workers?

New workers will come in at permanently lower pay. More of them will have to work second jobs just to get by and more of them will struggle to support themselves and their families. Long-term union employees will no longer be able to aspire to well-paid leadership positions in their field. Finally, the College will be able to force employees who take earned vacation, sick time, bereavement pay, and other paid time off besides holiday pay to work double shifts or extra shifts on their day off without paying them overtime.

WU: A few years ago Wellesley College was also in union negotiations with the greenhouse workers, which has led to the loss of union jobs. Has the difficulties of that negotiation process influenced your negotiations at all?

The Greenhouse situation hasn't had a direct impact on the substance of the negotiations. But it has damaged the trust the Union has in the College. The College's mid-contract move to eliminate the majority of employees in the Greenhouses was shocking. And the College's constant small transfers of the remaining union work in the greenhouse to non-union members just increases that distrust.

WU: What would you like to see the most out of this negotiation process?

A fair contract that does not cut Union wages, but allows the Union to share in the College's prosperity as the College's tuition, fundraising, and endowment keep rising. The money Wellesley takes from its students and alumnae should not only flow to the top of the College.

WU: What brings you the most joy at your role?

Interacting and developing relationships with the students! After being here for 20+ years, I can't even count how many friends I have made. Almost like a proud mother, I love seeing students who come in as shy first years blossom into strong, confident seniors! I cheer them on at graduation and cry knowing that they are moving on in life and I will not be a part of their life every day. I can't begin to tell you the amount of pride I have in seeing alums that I have grown to love and admire succeed in life and crow to my coworkers every day about how well they are doing. On Reunion weekend, I literally cry tears of joy in seeing students that I haven't seen in 10 years come home!

WU: What can the wider Wellesley community (students, faculty, alums) do to support you and the union?

Every bit of support from the wider Wellesley community helps. The voices of Wellesley students, faculty, and alumni bear more weight with the Wellesley administration than that of blue collar workers. We saw this with the unbelievable job the students, aided by Wellesley Underground in fighting the layoffs at the Greenhouse. Clear, concerted communications with the College about your concerns about their treatment of their workers are critical. Demonstrations and leaflets in support of the Union would be great. Letting the College know that the amounts people plan to give to the College will be hurt by their treatment of their workers would also be very helpful.

Direct comments to Wellesley College can be sent to Piper Orton, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer, at [email protected].

Update: Supporters of union workers can sign this petition to Wellesley https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/wellesley-alums-pledge?source=c.em.mt&r_by=21959017

#wellesley underground #wellesley college #union negotiations #labor rights #workers rights #food service workers #fair wages #fair jobs #hoi-fei mok #Gloria Figueroa

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