As you may know, there is currently an election scheduled for this Tuesday in which all student workers will have an opportunity to vote on whether the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) will be expanded to represent all student workers at the College. This election is being conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, an agency of the federal government charged with that responsibility.
The election is by secret ballot; no one will know how you vote on this important issue unless you choose to tell them. Also note that even if you signed a card for the UGSDW in the past, you are not bound to vote for the union in the election.
We deeply value the impact that the members of UGSDW – and other union employees at the College – have on everyone at Grinnell. We are also proud of the College’s long history of championing social justice and supporting organized labor on campus. However, we believe this potential expansion of UGSDW could harm the educational experience at Grinnell, as we outlined in a message, Campus Memo: Update on Student Unionization, last week.
We want to make sure you have the facts about how this change could undermine the College’s core mission and culture, introduce privacy concerns, and ultimately diminish educational opportunities for all Grinnell students. Before you vote on Tuesday, consider how this could affect you:
- If the UGSDW were expanded to include all student workers, it would become the exclusive bargaining representative for all student workers. All future discussions about terms and conditions of employment would have to be between the College and the union, not between the College and any student worker individually.
- If the union were expanded to include all student workers, faculty would need to follow union rules when making appointments to research assistantships and other academic support positions. Union rules about filling positions could limit the ability of faculty mentors and staff supervisors to match students’ interests and needs with positions.
- Under federal law all student workers would be considered members of the bargaining unit subject to all union rules. There is no opting out of the unit; all student workers, present and future, would be bound by the union’s decisions.
- Even student workers who abstain from voting in the election and/or who do not want to join the union will be affected by the outcome.
Although the College disagrees with the union’s drive to expand its membership, it supports everyone’s right to have their voice heard, and we value the vibrant debate this issue has fostered within our community. This kind of engaged citizenship is key to Grinnell’s mission.