Western Washington University academic student employees went on strike early Tuesday morning, May 21.
The strike is the last resort for the 1,100 academic student employees, who unionized in June 2023. They’ve been bargaining with Western since October. The union says Western has not budged sufficiently on wages, tuition assistance, bereavement leave or probation articles for a proposed contract.
Academic student employees are graduate and undergraduate students who fill teaching and research positions as teaching assistants, tutors and researchers. Two weeks ago, 93% of them voted in favor of a strike. The strike deadline came and went at 5 a.m. this morning, with no agreement between the students and the university.
Students on strike blocked entrances to campus Tuesday morning and will continue to do so from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day until Western agrees to a fair contract and makes movement on wages and tuition assistance, organizer Lexy Aydelotte said.
Western Academic Workers United (WAWU) delivered a “comprehensive settlement proposal” to the administration on May 17 in an attempt to reach a fair deal and call off the strike, according to an Instagram post.
In particular, the union is looking to increase the hourly minimum wage to $20.28, to increase the monthly graduate stipend to $2,100, stronger harassment and discrimination protections, bereavement leave, elimination of a proposed probation period and other benefits.
Western said it will continue meeting with WAWU to reach a “swift and sustainable agreement that minimizes the impact on WWU students and their academic pursuits,” according to a Tuesday morning news release.
Campus is open as usual, but Western warned students there may be traffic disruptions. The Whatcom Transportation Authority posted on X, formerly Twitter, at 7:14 a.m. that drivers are not able to access bus stops at Haggard Hall or the Viking Union due to “activity on campus.” Stops on Billy Frank Jr. Street are also closed. Buses will pick up and drop off passengers on Garden Street below the Viking Union, according to the post.
Provost Brad Johnson said the university hopes WAWU shares their “commitment to compromise and resolution.” He added that the university understands the rising costs of “living and learning in Bellingham are challenging,” but hopes state and local solutions like minimum wage increases and investments in affordability programs will help.
The university is proposing a 12.3% increase to the minimum hourly rate, bringing it to $19.41 an hour, and a 20.4% increase to graduate salaries, bringing the graduate stipend minimum to $2,046. Both fall just short of the union’s proposals.
Olive Dillemuth, an educational student employee, said on Tuesday at the strike that the employees are tired of being treated like they’re “disposable” by Western.
“It seems like admin wants us to lose momentum over the summer,” Dillemuth said. Western’s last day of classes is June 14.
Dillemuth said the union has more than 700 picket shifts filled today, with some overlap.
The union was at the bargaining table until 9:30 p.m. last night, and Western walked out, Aydelotte said.
“We have been very clear that our members are dropping out of college. They’re not able to afford to keep going to this university and the university is doing nothing about it,” she said.
WAWU is also asking other staff and faculty to “refuse to cross our picket line” and “withhold their own paid labor” from Western.
At the intersection of Oak Street and High Street by Nash Hall, strikers including Aydelotte are stopping cars and informing them of the strike.
“We’re asking them not to cross our picket line in solidarity and most people are turning around and going home,” she said.
On Friday, May 17, WAWU and students involved in last week’s pro-Palestine encampment organized a joint march through campus, attracting hundreds of students.
Last week, 6,000 student academic employees at the University of Washington went on strike over low wages and reached an agreement with the university just a few hours after the strike began, according to the Seattle Times.
Western has not voluntarily recognized the other major group of student employees, operational employees, who filed to unionize in December. A bill in the Legislature to provide a framework to the university for operational student employee unionization died in the spring session.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
