United we BARGAIN.

Divided we beg.

Strike Authorization Vote

On May 6-9, we are holding a Strike Authorization Vote!

For too long, educational student employees have gotten the short end of the stick – with our unprotected jobs being the first on the chopping block whenever budgets get cut. We all know too many people who have had to drop out of school because they couldn’t pay rent, much less tuition. Western doesn’t care and it shows when admin refuses to bring credible proposals that foster just, equitable workplaces to the bargaining table. 

That is why we are holding a Strike Authorization Vote.

How to prepare for our Strike Authorization Vote

It is going to take all 1100 of us to hold Western accountable and make real change on campus. When enough of us vote “YES” in our upcoming Strike Authorization Vote, the WAWU bargaining committee may set a deadline for admin before calling a strike. This will send admin a strong message that we are willing to withhold our work if they continue to delay bargaining and undervalue our jobs.

Pledge to Vote Yes!
Strike Authorization Vote FAQs

Days Until Our Strike Authorization Vote

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Bargaining Priorities

We live in a reality where students face rising costs of living in Bellingham, tuition and fees, and other barriers to attending and affording our education from a Washington State public university. Western works because WE DO! We need to live here too. Our jobs are essential to Western’s mission of providing “a transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research and creative activity”. By meeting our demands at the bargaining table, Western Administrators can truly advance inclusive success – increase retention and persistence rates and eliminate achievement gaps for students from diverse and under-represented socio-economic backgrounds.

Liveable, Competitive Compensation

           Tuition and            Fee Waivers

Stronger ADEI Resolution Procedures

Job Security

Progress Tracker

5

Articles for us to counter

13

Articles for Admin to counter

Our Most Recent Articles

  • Dependent Care
  • Healthcare
  • Accommodations
  • Anti-Discrimination
  • Appointment Security

Admin’s Most Recent Articles

  • Accommodations
  • Anti-Discrimination
  • Wages & Titles
  • Tuition & Fees

Bargaining Dates

Upcoming Bargaining Dates

Spring Quarter

  • Monday, April 29th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Mondays in May… Waiting for WWU Admin
Previous Bargaining Dates

Fall Quarter

  • Monday, October 2nd, 1:00 – 5:00
  • October 3rd – 23rd, Not scheduled due to WWU Lawyer Bike Vacation in Greece
  • Tuesday, October 24th, Rescheduled due to WWU Lawyer Illness
  • Thursday, November 2nd, 1:00 – 5:00 (Make up date)
  • Tuesday, November 7th, Cancelled due to STC PERC hearing
  • Tuesday, November 14th, Not scheduled due to WWU Lawyer Previous Commitment
  • Tuesday, November 21st, 1:00 – 5:00
  • Tuesday, November 28th, 1:00 – 5:00
  • Tuesday, December 5th, 1:00 – 5:00
  • Tuesday, December 12th, Cancelled due to WWU Lawyer Family Emergency

Winter Quarter

  • Tuesday, January 16th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, January 22nd, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, January 29th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, February 5th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, February 12th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, February 26th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, March 4th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, March 11th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, March 18th, RFI Sidebar Session

Spring Quarter

  • Monday, March 25th, 11:00-5:00
  • Monday, April 1st, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, April 8th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, April 15th, 11:00 – 5:00 – Cancelled due to WWU Lawyer’s last minute unavailability
  • Thursday, April 18th, 11:00 – 5:00
  • Monday, April 22nd, 11:00 – 5:00

Every Monday.

11AM – 5PM.

Old Main 590 (Solarium)

Join us in bargaining!

All bargaining sessions are open to WAWU members. You can come be a passive or active observer to the process. Sitting in on a bargaining session is a low stakes way of showing WWU Admin that everyone is invested and engaged in what happens during bargaining!

I want to come to a session!

Contract Article Proposals

We’re making history by negotiating the first ever union contract to protect student employees at Western. Bargaining is a democratic process where we decide together what we want to change and advocate to make these changes.

The following are all of the bargaining proposals that have been passed back and forth between us and WWU Administrators. Each proposed article is it’s own accordion dropdown menu. Tentatively Agreed (TA’d) articles are articles that we have reached an agreement with WWU Administrators on and will end up in the contract once we ratify it.

Active Proposal Archive

Wages & Titles
Tuition & Fees
Workload
Appointment Security (formerly Layoffs)
Anti-Discrimination
Accommodations
ADEI Training
Parking & Transit
Leaves
Healthcare
Vacation
Holidays
Discipline or Dismissal
Dependent Care
Management Rights
Probation
Title IX
No Strike No Lockout
Intellectual Property
Severability

Tentative Agreement Archive

Grievance Procedure (TA'd)
Training (TA'd)
Appointments (TA'd)
Fair Scheduling (TA'd)
Workspace and Materials (TA'd)
Health and Safety (TA'd)
Travel (TA'd)
Job Posting (TA'd)
Personnel Files (TA'd)
Immigration (TA'd)
Housing (TA'd)
Professional Development (TA'd)
Union Rights (TA'd)
Union Dues (TA'd)
Union VCAP (TA'd)
Union Management Committee (TA'd)
Scope of Agreement (TA'd)
Ground Rules (TA'd)
Recognition (TA'd)