WCWU Needs You! Call to Action for BOT Updates
The following is a copy of correspondence sent out to the WCWU members email list on Mar. 03, 2026. Not receiving our messages? Contact us at wcworkersunited@gmail.com with your name and role within the college to request that you be added to our outreach list!
Good evening friends,
We have been in correspondence with the College since our initial letter to President Bolton on 02/19, requesting that the College administration meet with us and our representatives from AFT, to establish voluntary recognition of our union and bargaining units (see all letters attached). The College has not yet agreed to voluntarily recognize WCWU.
However, many staff and faculty received emails from Jeff Hamrick today indicating that anyone who supervises student staff would be considered ineligible for union representation from the College’s perspective. The College appears to be attempting to make unilateral decisions about our union and potentially topics we intend to bargain around without yet voluntarily recognizing WCWU, let alone beginning good faith negotiations.
We do not accept this.
As you may know, the College will be holding two meetings to provide updates on the Board of Trustees’ visit to campus last week on the following dates: tomorrow Wed. 03/04 at 8:30am and Thurs. 03/05 at 4:00pm.
It is important that President Bolton and the college see us, even if they have not yet agreed to the reasonable request to meet with us. So, for the next two days we have two actions for y’all:
Attend one or both of the update fora wearing your WCWU t-shirt, buttons, and/or stickers. Some of our organizing members will be there with some extra stickers if you don’t have one.
Thursday, all day, wear blue to show your support for the union.
Our demand for voluntary recognition and requests to meet with our AFT representatives are not unreasonable. We will continue to express our expectation that the College treat its workers fairly and to meet the union at the table in good faith as collaborators in the co-creation of better working conditions at Whitman College. To do this, they must recognize WCWU and come to a mutual agreement on the definitions of our bargaining units.
I look forward to seeing y'all tomorrow in those snazzy, hand-printed tees!
In solidarity,
Shelby
on behalf of WCWU Organizing Committee