UGSDW Strike Fund

May 13th Update: On Thursday, May 11th, we filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Grinnell College for refusal to bargain in good faith. Following the first day of the strike that Grinnell student workers began on May 10, the college’s bargaining team sent an email to UGSDW’s leadership unilaterally and falsely declaring impasse due to the ongoing strike. Since that time, the college's legal counsel has illegally refused to bargain through the strike, and the college has threatened to fire or discipline workers for refusing to cross the picket line. We don't respond to illegal intimidation, threats, and union-busting—Grinnell student workers are still on strike for higher wages, fair compensation for CAs, and a contractually enforceable nondiscrimination process!

Thank you to everyone who has donated! We have begun paying for things such as strike and hardship pay for striking student workers and picket line materials.

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Hello, we are the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW), the first and only recognized wall-to-wall undergraduate labor union in the country. Since October 2022, we have been bargaining for the first campus-wide contract for all undergraduate student workers at Grinnell College.

Through this whole process, we have faced stalling, the College’s refusal to allow in-person observers at bargaining, regressive changes at the bargaining table, threats, and a complete refusal to engage with even the most basic subjects of negotiation. Recently, the College has proposed a provision of the contract that removed the housing grant that Community Advisors (known at other schools as Resident Advisors) and replaced it with a base wage of $13.25 per hour with no guarantee of hours, which means that many Community Advisors will see a pay cut. Along with this, the College has not included bonus/experience pay, a livable hourly wage, and a contractually enforceable non-discrimination clause in their contract proposal.

Because of this, student workers have voted for CAs to go on an indefinite strike in order to secure a fair contract. These funds will be used for strike and hardship pay, picket line materials, and other general monetary needs. Any funds not used for this strike will be used by UGSDW in future organizing and advocacy for student workers.

Please donate and share!