Since the WOAW union went on strike March 27, the College and WOAW have met for three bargaining sessions. There was some movement towards more tentative agreements between WOAW and the College on the following articles: Prohibition for Discrimination and Harassment, Recognition, Union Rights and Access and Dining. The News previously reported that disagreement still remains on larger issues such as Compensation, Workload and Reappointment.

On Wednesday, April 9, Provost Courtney Coile and Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer sent out a college FYI to the Wellesley community, which stated, “We believe holding bargaining sessions during which the College offers proposals that the UAW refuses to consider is fruitless and will not advance our shared goal of finalizing a contract.”

Initially, a bargaining session was scheduled for the afternoon the next day. However, the College canceled this bargaining session. 

A spokesperson for the College told the News:

“Based on lack of progress across a range of issues at recent bargaining sessions, the College asked the union for a clear demonstration of willingness to make meaningful progress in negotiations or to agree to pursue mediation. The union has not demonstrated such willingness and so today’s scheduled bargaining session did not take place.”

The union described being “disappointed” by this cancellation in an email and website update. 

“We were prepared for a productive session on Thursday, ready to ask the College questions to better understand their positions and to clarify ours,” read the statement.

The statement also addressed the College’s continued calls for a private mediator.

“Our members do not have confidence that mediation will prove productive considering the College’s bargaining history,” stated WOAW in their update, “Mediators do not settle disputes; both sides need to explain their positions and be open to compromise.”

Future bargaining sessions remain unscheduled as the College and WOAW remain at odds over whether to engage in private mediation or continue bargaining.

“We look forward to meeting again when the union shows a renewed willingness to engage in good faith bargaining,” a spokesperson for the College told the News.

WOAW has also asked the College to schedule additional bargaining sessions every day this week except for Thursday. However, it seems unlikely that bargaining will occur if this stalemate continues.

In the meantime, WOAW members told the News in an email statement that they hope the College returns to bargaining but “are prepared to take legal action if they refuse to do so.” The union has already filed two Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) with the National Labor Relations Board against the College for “coercive rules and threats to Union members” and for a “unilateral change to a mandatory subject of bargaining and [the College] refused to bargain with the Union upon request.”

Community events

On Wednesday, April 9, Provost Coile attended a tea at Tower Court. Students asked her questions about a variety of campus issues, such as her role as Provost, the College’s responses to threats to higher education, but focused primarily on the College’s response to the strike.

Coile noted that while she does not attend bargaining, she is actively involved in College responses after each session. She also emphasized that both she and other members of campus administration, including Megan Nunez, Dean of Faculty Affairs, who does attend bargaining on behalf of the College, know non-tenure track faculty personally and professionally.

“All of us are friends with people in the bargaining unit, [we] know what their contributions are,” said Coile.

Coile defended the College’s plan that will reduce striking NTT classes to 0.5 units at the end of the semester, which has forced many students to enroll in new classes to maintain eligibility for graduation, athletics, financial aid and visa status. Coile said that this plan and new registration were meant to ensure that every student met all credit guidelines. When asked further about the plan, Coile noted that this was a second plan after they failed to find enough professors to cover striking classes.

“I have yet to hear somebody suggest something else that we could have done,” said Coile.

On Friday, April 11, WOAW and Wellesley’s Union and Labor Advocacy Taskforce (UniLAd) held a community cookout at a union member’s house. The event had catering and was attended by both students and union faculty. 

Phoebe Rebhorn contributed to reporting.

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Sazma Sarwar, Galeta Sandercock, and Valida Pau.

Updated on April 15 at 8:49pm to reflect more recent statements from WOAW.

Mediation

According to Provost and Dean of the College Courtney Coile’s most recent email to the Wellesley Community on Monday, Apr. 7, the College issued a “new and urgent call” to the union for mediation. They claimed that the College first proposed mediation on March 26, which the Union then refused. The College further stated that a mediator could progress negotiations by “engaging in ongoing ‘shuttle diplomacy’” between WOAW and the College.

The Union did not agree to mediation. In WOAW’s email update sent on Apr. 7, they argued that a third party would not be able to answer the College’s positions on the teaching structure at Wellesley or non-tenure track base salaries. 

However, the College stated that mediation is appropriate after 27 bargaining sessions and a nine-day strike. 

 Five-course load proposal

The College proposed a five-course annual workload for non-tenure track faculty, the current workload of Wellesley’s visiting lecturers. The College justified this proposal by emphasizing the differences between non-tenure track and tenure-track faculty, including extensive research and service requirements. The College said that this workload also aligns with peer institution standards. 

Four-course lecturers currently have the option to continue teaching four courses with a total 15 percent salary growth over four years. 

The Union claimed the College failed to answer the Union’s direct question: “What problem are you trying to solve by increasing the teaching load?” The Union argues that they oppose any workload increase, especially one made without a clear rationale.

The Union views this proposed workload increase as devaluing teaching and student mentorship, given the centrality of non-tenure track faculty in student life. 

Compensation

The Union has proposed a $2.9 million increase in compensation, which they state represents approximately 1.1% of the College’s total budget. In contrast, the College has offered a $663k increase — equating to roughly 0.25% of the total budget.

In their Apr. 7 email update, the College emphasized that their proposal included a 31% salary increase spread over four years, with an average raise of 8.5% in the first year alone. The administration argues that this offer reflects market standards and represents a significant investment in faculty and staff.

However, the Union argues that the College’s offer remains inadequate and does not meet the financial needs or recognition deserved by its members.

The College, in turn, has expressed concern over the Union’s rejection of their offer without presenting counter-proposals on what it calls “core issues.”

Educational disruption and accreditation

The Union has sharply criticized the College’s fallback grading plan of having students enroll in other classes to earn 0.5 units of academic credit for the rest of the year, calling it “disastrous” for students. They warn that implementing such a plan could result in long-term academic harm, especially for graduating seniors and disciplines that require cumulative instruction. 

The Union wrote in their Apr. 7 email update, “The College’s reticence to settle a fair contract directly undermines our students. Seniors’ job prospects will be marred by these artificially low grades. Continuing students will have only ⅔ of the education they need to progress in their majors. How could a student succeed in Chem 205 if they’ve only finished ⅔ of Chem 105?” 

The College’s most recent communication did not address concerns about the accreditation policies raised by the Union.

Union’s calls for support

The College claims that, despite presenting a consolidated 84-page contract with 26 articles, the Union refused to negotiate on workload and compensation, instead reiterating its opposition to proposed changes.

The Union, however, argues that the administration is exploiting traditionally women’s work while claiming to empower women. 

Additionally, the Union asserts that the college’s proposals would fundamentally alter Wellesley’s identity and damage the long-standing faculty-student relationship that defines the College. They point to previous proposals, such as the introduction of the “Master Lecturer” title and the College’s refusal to include protections against discrimination based on marital status and reproductive health as further examples of the administration’s disregard for the values Wellesley claims to uphold. 

In their final call to action, the Union urged students, alumni and parents to stand in solidarity. “We ask alumni to support our cause by not crossing the picket line, and we encourage parents to contact the administration to voice their concern. This fight is about preserving the heart of Wellesley for future generations,” the Union wrote.

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Galeta Sandercock and Valida Pau.

WOAW and the College reached tentative agreements for Union Rights and Access and Recognition for union members. However, the session did not address major proposals, such as compensation, workload and appointments and reappointment. The Union did not consider there to be enough progress made to end the strike.

Movements made

The College came with 16 proposals and a package of various benefits, including child care and paid medical leave.

The College offered a $5,000 child care benefit for BUEs with dependents six years and younger.

WOAW members said this proposal came unexpectedly and were hopeful the College could extend this policy to tenured faculty and staff.
The College also offered two semesters of paid medical leave that BUEs may take over the course of their careers. 

While the Union recognized the progress, they hoped to see a longer, more generous timeline for illness.

In another movement, the College guarantees that any case of alleged discrimination, harassment, or bullying can proceed to grievance and arbitration, reversing a firm stance they took in the past that would only allow the Union to proceed to grievance after arbitration and the College’s final actions.

  They did not provide definitive answers on the Union’s proposal to include a statement of non-discrimination on the basis of immigration status, in the case of a federal law change in the future.

The Immigration and Nationality Act already prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals based on their citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment, or referral for a fee. 

Disagreement remains

The College wrote in a campus-wide email that it presented the Union with “significant moves.”

Anne Brubaker, Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program, acknowledged the College’s efforts in benefits but said they failed to present a comprehensive package that included all their articles and top-priority issues. 

Despite going on strike, the Union members are frustrated by the lack of urgency and slow progress of bargaining from the College side. 

The Union offered to extend the Tuesday bargaining session and meet on Wednesday, but the College insisted on meeting on Thursday on their previously agreed-upon schedule.    

“It just seems they’re almost acting unbothered…There’s no sense of urgency from the College’s bargaining team,” said Jacquelin Woodford, Lecturer in Chemistry.

The College strongly disagrees with that assertion, said the College in a statement to the News. They continued to propose third-party mediation, through a neutral private mediator, as federal mediators are no longer a viable option.

“The union continues to strike and shows no urgency around the College’s request to pursue private mediation – a tried and true method of resolving labor disputes,” said the College.

Brubaker rejected the College’s characterization of the strike as premature.

“We feel like in some ways, yes, we were striking because of the sticking points, but we were also striking to get them back to the bargaining table,” said Brubaker.

Brubaker also rejected the idea that bargaining has reached a point where mediation is necessary.

“And I know that they have suggested that we were at an impasse, and we needed mediation. But an impasse isn’t the same as not showing up and countering our proposals in a meaningful way,” said Brubaker.

“We call on the union to end the strike, focus on the critical work at the negotiating table, and allow students to return to their usual classes,” Coile and Slaboden wrote in the email.

In an email statement to the News, Brubaker wrote, “The College announcement from Provost Coile mentions ‘retirement benefits’ but this was not in the proposal package.”

In the meantime, WOAW’s bargaining update stated that on the evening of Apr. 1, the bargaining team sent another comprehensive package to the College ahead of bargaining on Apr. 3. This is the second comprehensive package, which includes information about all articles, that the Union has sent to the College.

The College and WOAW-UAW will return to bargaining Thursday, Apr. 3.

Wellesley Organized Academic Workers (WOAW-UAW), the non-tenure track faculty union, will begin a strike this Thursday, the College announced today in an email sent to all students, faculty, and staff.

The Wellesley News reported yesterday that WOAW would likely begin a strike after both parties failed to agree on key issues, including compensation and workload in the Tuesday bargaining session. 

The College said the Union rejected the College’s offer to move to mediation facilitated by federal mediators under the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). 

FMCS is an independent federal agency that provides mediation and other conflict resolution services to help resolve labor-management disputes.

However, President Trump announced a presidential action on March 14, directing FCMS and other targeted federal agencies to eliminate “non-statutory components” and to “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”

The agency reiterated their efforts to remain operational and continue to provide their statutorily mandated services, in a press release on March 19.

“To be clear, FMCS is still operational and performing our statutory functions of collective bargaining mediation work in the private and federal Sectors, USPS dispute cases, labor-management committee work, and providing arbitration panels,” the agency said.

Members of WOAW plan to picket at the Route 135 entrance to campus, but the entrance and College Road will remain open, according to the College. 

The Union currently has plans for strikes on April 5-6 on a shift sign-up form on their website. That weekend, the College will host the Hillary Rodham Center Summit which includes speakers like former state of secretary Hillary Rodham ’69 and Arkansas State Senator Breanne Davis (R).

In an emailed statement to the News, WOAW believed the College’s mediation request was “disingenuous” and “would not have averted a strike,” on top of the fact the College announcement came after it was made aware that the FMCS is no longer able to provide such services.

“The college requested that future sessions be mediation, but still did not offer any dates before April 3. In our bargaining session yesterday, we offered to bargain with the college today to avert a strike and they declined.

“We believe mediation at this time is premature, and we have said many times we are willing to negotiate on many areas in our proposal,” said Jacquelin Woodford, lecturer in Chemistry.

The College told the News that they were unaware of the suspension of federal mediation services when the community email was sent, and their labor lawyer reached out to the mediator yesterday, before the administrative leave announcement had been made.

“The College stands by its offer to move to mediation with WOAW. Private mediation is still an option with a neutral mediator. The College is eager to take that step and calls on WOAW-UAW to join us,” said the College.

Talks falling apart

This announcement follows the 24th bargaining session between the Union and the College held earlier this afternoon. The session included WOAW’s presentation of a comprehensive package of all current proposals and discussions with the College on these high-priority issues. 

WOAW proposed to meet for an additional bargaining session tomorrow to avert a strike, but the College declined to meet before Thursday. While a strike has not been officially announced, WOAW members expressed in statements to the News that one is likely to follow. 

The College’s latest proposal for starting salary stands at $68,000 for Visiting Lecturers and $72K for lecturers, while WOAW’s latest proposal stands at $88,000 for Visiting and “Tier 1” lecturers. 

 The College’s offer also includes an “additional $10,000 increase over two years” for the new five-course workload standard, an across-the-board wage increase of 2.75% and an additional 1.5% increase for each year at the College for newly hired employees.

In an email statement to The News, the College described this offer as “a bold new package proposal” that included “unprecedented increases in compensation for union agreement on a five course annual teaching load for all unit members.”

 The College also stated that it made “serious movement” toward the Union’s proposal on discrimination and harassment, such as by adding stand-alone protections from bullying for the first time. 

According to an email statement from Erin Battat, Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program and a member of the bargaining committee, the College proposed a five-course workload with a $10,000 increase to the base salary during today’s bargaining session. This is equivalent to what non-tenure track professors currently receive when electing to teach a fifth course.

“The College’s proposal makes working overtime the new, required norm,” Battat wrote. “We had hoped that Wellesley was serious about their claims to care about averting a strike, but their actions at the bargaining prove otherwise.”

A spokesperson for the College told The News that a campus-wide announcement will also be sent out on Wednesday morning regarding the state of bargaining and the possible strike. Members of the bargaining units may choose whether to strike. 

“We would rather be teaching, but the College’s conduct has left us with no choice. We are prepared to join the picket lines on Thursday morning,” said Battat.

During the strike, Union members will receive $500 a week in strike assistance from the UAW if they picket for at least 20 hours.

During today’s bargaining session, the Union took a two-hour break and compiled a 95-page comprehensive package, which the College described as reiterating positions from months ago. 

 The College said it was “very disappointed” at the Union’s “outright” rejection of the offers without presenting alternatives “that could narrow, rather than expand, our differences.” 

Timeline of strike announcements

The News previously reported that the WOAW union’s strike authorization vote passed by 93% on February 24. However, in subsequent bargaining sessions, WOAW and Wellesley were not able to reach agreements on compensation, workload, and discrimination and harassment procedures. On March 10, WOAW held a rally to advocate for progress in the negotiations. 

Last Tuesday, March 18, WOAW announced March 27 as the strike date.

  The College responded to the strike announcement in a campus-wide email sent on March 24 by Provost Courtney Coile and Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer. The email stated that the College did not feel that parties were at an “impasse” and “sincerely [hoped] that WOAW-UAW does not decide to strike,” as well as that bargaining sessions have been scheduled for the next several weeks. More information on negotiation status is available on the College’s dedicated website. 

According to the WOAW Instagram, WOAW has offered to participate in additional bargaining sessions every day since March 18, but the College declined. 

What students should know

Wellesley College’s unionization FAQ page states that affected class department chairs will notify students directly. In some departments, these notifications have already been sent out to students. 

According to a post on WOAW’s Instagram on March 24, “Over 70% of tenure-track faculty have pledged not to teach struck classes taught by WOAW members.”

In departments including Biology, Chemistry, Women’s and Gender Studies and Anthropology, classes taught by non-tenure track faculty who choose to strike will not be filled by tenure-track faculty. The Economics department has informed students that classes with striking faculty will be filled by tenure-track faculty. 

On the FAQ page for students, WOAW has asked students to demonstrate solidarity with the union by refraining from attending courses taught by those on strike, showing support at picket locations and emailing campus administration in support of the union.

Financial future

The College currently projects over $8 million in budget deficit for the fiscal year 2026, in a statement sent to faculty and staff by Provost Courtney Coile and Piper Orton, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer, seen by The News.  

In a separate statement reviewed by The News, this included a projected 30% increase in total compensation over the four-year contract for WOAW.

While the College often comes to a balanced budget, this year’s $8 million would require “significant action,” according to Coile. The email also stated that the College is considering a hiring freeze and a food and travel cut for faculty and staff. 

This comes amid uncertainties around “ongoing conversations about the possible cost to the College to the WOAW-UAW contract” and federal policy changes targeting higher education institutions. 

Wellesley, among other higher education institutions, is facing increasing pressure from the Trump administration, including a potential endowment tax hike and threats of cutting federal funding and grants. 

“With the Union having apparently decided to strike on Thursday and disrupt campus life for our students, the College will now consider what is the best pathway to reach an agreement,” the College wrote.

Still, union members remain confident in their bargaining demands.

“We are fighting the good fights. We are willing to fight for the contract we deserve,” said Jacqueline Woodford, lecturer in chemistry.

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Sazma Sarwar and India Lacey

Updated on March 26th to reflect corrections to department announcements.

Community members wore red in solidarity with WOAW, circulating signs, chant scripts and a student pledge. Attendees remained on the sidewalk for the duration of the rally to avoid gathering on the private property of the College. Speakers included union members, students, tenured faculty and Independent Maintenance and Service Employees Unions of America (IMSEUA) members.

Attendees walked from the Central Street vehicle entrance to the College pedestrian entrance at the corner of Central Street and Weston Road. People chanted “Hey hey, ho ho!/Wellesley greed has got to go,” “When I say Union, You Say Power” and “Wellesley, step off it!/Put people over profit.” Cars driving by honked in solidarity with the rally participants.

WOAW faculty expressed excitement over the student and union member turnout at the event. 

“I always knew our students were smart enough to not buy the College’s narrative that you know what they’re proposing is totally fine for students, but to actually see it in action was really moving,” said Professor Deb Bauer.

WOAW faculty were also grateful for the amount of union members who came to the rally.

“I was really heartened to see how many unit members showed up … To see the community coming together in a moment like this to really show the College the solidarity of the unit, it was really impressive to me,” said Professor Paul Martorelli.

Professors are hopeful that this rally will encourage progress in the bargaining with the College.

“I hope they realize that the things that we have been proposing are not unreasonable and that the changes that the College is proposing would hurt the entire community,” said Professor Christa Skow.

Current State of Bargaining

This demonstration occurred following the Strike Authorization Vote, which 93% of voting members approved earlier this month. Bargaining issues that led to the vote include compensation and workplace protections.

The WOAW Instagram page stated that the College emailed several departments offering $250 per class to tenure-track faculty who remain working in the case of a strike. In a statement to The News, a spokesperson for the College said, “If there is a work stoppage, the College’s top priority will be the academic experience of our students.”

According to the College’s available union website, Wellesley is developing contingency plans to mitigate possible strike-related disruptions to academics, campus safety and other programs. The College told The News that they will share details of the plans “if and when they are needed.”

In addition to the rally, the WOAW union urged community members to email the College administration and the Board of Trustees in solidarity.

Students Pledge to Strike

In response to the ongoing back and forth between WOAW and the College surrounding the Strike Authorization Vote, students have started an independent student pledge through social media platforms and student body emails from the student Community Organizing and Inclusion Liaison. 

Students who sign the pledge agree to abstain from classes taught by non-tenure track faculty for the duration of the strike, even if, according to the pledge, “the College brings in scab labor to cover the course.” 

Alex Teasley ’27, one of the organizers of the pledge, described its purpose as a “deterrent” to a strike.

“The hope is that the school will see this and … just meet WOAW at the negotiating table,” said Teasley, “If that does happen, then I’m hopeful that WOAW will still know in the future that they have 400 students who are ready to strike with them.” 

By Saturday March 15, the pledge received 506 responses. 

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Sazma Sarwar and Valida Pau

Sophia Bodor ‘28 reported the tense emotions on campus following the election results. 

“Many of my friends didn’t go to class, and those that did attend barely participated,” she said. 

The Stone Center Counseling Service offered drop-in group support and urgent appointments this past week to combat increased stress related to the election among the student body. Students may receive mental health referrals and crisis support from mental health professionals by scheduling intake or referral appointments. After-hours assistance is available at all times at (781) 283-2839 and questions may be directed to counseling@wellesley.edu. 

According to Dr. Lisa Howard, Associate Dean and Director of Counseling Services, Counseling is not currently fully staffed, with an open position for a staff psychologist. She noted that they have arranged to hire a staff therapist to increase support hours but the services are still offering fewer clinical hours than in previous years. 

Counseling Services has not noticed a spike in appointments—the end of October and first two to three weeks of November typically comprise one of the busiest periods. Dr. Howard observed that many students are seeking supportive resources off- and on-campus outside of Counseling, such as off-campus therapists and in the college community. 

Additionally, the Office of Student Wellness is providing Mental Health First Aid training and can be reached at studentwellness@wellesley.edu. 

Moreover, the Slater International Center has held pre-election and post-election programs and resources. The Global Tea series taught students about the Electoral College and its history, discussing how it compares to electoral processes in other countries. Other programs included a teaching session by a faculty member on media influence and global discrimination, as well as an event hosting an immigration attorney guest speaker who addressed visa-related issues post-graduation. 

The Slater Center and the Inclusion and Engagement Team held a justice circle inviting students to process the election results post-election. According to Tana D. Ruegamer, Director of Slater International Center, the Slater Center plans to host community time in the future for international students to share their concerns and provide a safe space to discuss the election results. Year-round, students may schedule virtual or in-person one-on-one advising appointments with the Slater Center.

The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is currently offering support resources through the college chaplains and the dean of ORSL. Confidential and nonjudgmental conversations are available to the whole college community, regardless of religious affiliation. Individuals may schedule an appointment by emailing a staff member or calling the ORSL at (781) 283-2685 and email the office for more information.

Students continue to find mental health support on and off campus. Bodor expressed the importance of reaching out within the student community: “My friends and peers have been fundamental to my mental well-being these past few days,” she said. 

Simpson Hall, an addition to Simpson Cottage from 1942, has been removed and replaced with an ongoing construction that will be the new Health and Counseling Center. Simpson Cottage, in which the Stone Center Counseling Services was formerly located, plans to house the Wellesley Centers for Women after the renovations. Health Services and Counseling Services are currently relocated to the College Club until completion of construction. 

The new Health and Counseling Center, 12,000 sq ft of space and with a budget of $13 million, will allocate the first floor to Health Services with six exam rooms and medical offices and the second floor to Counseling, with 13 counseling rooms. 

The renovations aim to make mental health support more accessible to students. The Stone Center Counseling Service and Health Services were located in different buildings prior to the renovations, which limited simultaneous support. 

Alvin Hung, assistant director of Design and project manager of the Health Services renovations, expressed that the separation of Counseling and Health Services led to “fragmented service.” Students were sent back and forth between the two to receive healthcare.

“We were really not providing the best services to our students,” he said. 

He emphasized that a major goal of the renovations is to provide the first holistic care model for healthcare at Wellesley. Combining the centers is intended to reduce stigma toward mental health by associating mental health with physical health and provide smoother service. According to Hung, the team had studied several options for renovation — such as minor updates to Simpson Hall — but ultimately decided that such procedures would lack their target comprehensive healthcare model. 

Another anticipated benefit of the renovation is improved patient care, including a more standardized patient experience. Students shared their mixed experiences with counselors and comfortability of the rooms with the Stone Center Counseling Service, commenting on the dated facilities of Simpson Hall. 

Emily Castro ’26 conveyed that many students, herself included, have not been able to receive consistent support from Counseling Services since renovations began, as it has been understaffed and under-supported. This past year, Castro has visited Counseling at the College Club but found its location inconvenient. She has also had virtual appointments but expressed difficulties in finding private locations on campus to engage in them; she is hopeful about the private therapy rooms the new building will provide. 

Hung noted that the new Health and Counseling Center will enjoy brighter, uniform rooms, as well as higher indoor air quality. 

Sustainability in renovations

The renovations faced several challenges that have led to delays. While initially expected to be completed by August 2024, the projected completion date has been pushed to spring 2025 largely due to the College’s sustainability efforts. 

The Health and Counseling Center will be the first fully electric building on campus — building, heating and cooling — and will meet the latest Massachusetts’ energy efficiency regulations for new buildings.  

Hung emphasized the College’s commitment to sustainability in the building process, since the new building will retain the concrete foundation of Simpson Hall, which was found in mint condition during the planning phase of the renovations. 

Although this is a “very risky” and “uncommon” approach, reusing the base will significantly reduce the project’s carbon footprint because concrete and steel account for 50-70% of a building project’s total embodied carbon. According to Hung, the College is willing to employ this more sustainable method of building despite its inherent drawbacks, one of which being the delay. 

“We realized that if we were to remove the entire building, the amount of embodied carbon we’re going to generate with the new building doesn’t align with the values of the campus,” Hung said.  

The preservation required careful dismantling of Simpson Hall to avoid damaging the foundation and safe handling of hazardous materials lingering from the 40s when it was built. 

“It’s a very tricky approach, but we opted for the tough path … in order to substantially reduce the embodied carbon,” Hung said. 

The Health and Counseling Center intends to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified. This entails the submission of an embodied carbon study that is currently being conducted. According to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system page, a gold certification requires 60-79 points accumulated in categories including lower carbon emissions, lower energy and water consumption, reduced waste and use of green materials. 

The project incorporates other sustainable features: a timber frame made from New-England-sourced panels instead of a steel frame and a prefabricated superstructure rather than the traditional stick-built approach, which generates greater amounts of waste. 

After the Health and Counseling Center is finished, the College will begin touch-ups to Simpson Cottage for the Wellesley Centers for Women.

Contact the editor responsible for this story: Sazma Sarwar

A bench was moved from the hallway to create more seating, while others sat on the floor in anticipation of the WOAW’s educational session and bargaining updates. Signs WOAW made about the teach-in are also placed around campus. 

With the tagline “Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions,” the WOAW union presented to fellow members, students and other members of the faculty and staff on current bargaining goals and status updates. 

One goal of this teach-in was to inform students of the WOAW’s mission and its bargaining goals. Speakers included union members, Independent Maintenance and Service Employees Unions of America (IMSEUA) members, and representatives from the United Auto Workers Union (UAW), with which the WOAW is affiliated.

A union member stated that the faculty had “claimed a seat at the table” by unionizing. Anne Brubaker, a senior lecturer in the writing program, also said that non-tenure track faculty had “already won because we’ve won a union.“

Hannah Grimmet ’25 works closely with the union team to advocate for the bargaining and student involvement with the union. Grimmet is the founder of UniLAd, the student-led Union and Labor Advocacy Taskforce, a subsection of Wellesley for the Abolition of Militarism and Incarceration (WAMI).

 “I hope that students gain … a remedy to that issue of wanting to support the Union but not knowing how, or not knowing the specific reasons of why they should be supporting,” she said about the Union’s goal for the teach-in. 

The teach-in outlined the Union’s goals and their updates, which can be accessed through their proposal tracker. The meeting dedicated time to show community members how to review this spreadsheet and understand how to track agreements/amendments in proposal language over time. 

Members discussed the recent “wins” for the union, including what was described as “one of the strongest health and safety articles in higher ed.” This article, tentatively agreed upon on Sept. 24, includes information about the communication and regulation of health and safety concerns and policy on campus. Other agreements included the recent memorandum about including non-tenure track faculty in key research programs and streamlining non-tenure track titles across departments.

The teach-in continued to emphasize the Union’s ongoing proposal to include a faster, union-centered grievance process focused on supportive measures. The open letter in support of the proposal is signed by over 600 faculty, students and members of the college community.

In the meeting, members commented on frustrations during bargaining about this proposal, including with the College’s lawyer. One presented their testimony about discrimination and harassment they had presented to the College in a previous bargaining session.

This proposal, together with disagreement on faculty’s workload, have become “sticking points,” the Union repeatedly expressed online and at the teach-in. 

According to Wellesley College’s published bargaining update for the Oct. 22 bargaining session, the College claimed that “the WOAW-UAW is asking to have more rights and a different process than the rest of our community when it comes to the initial processing of claims of discrimination.” 

WOAW members, instead, argued that their proposals provide crucial options for affected members and can be adopted by the wider community.

“Why wouldn’t Wellesley take our good ideas and implement them across campus?” Katie Hall, a distinguished senior lecturer in Physics, said in the meeting.

The Union and the College still struggled to find common grounds on workload and titles. The College has proposed workload increases from four to five classes a year for full-time non-tenure track faculty, as well as the removal of course enrollment caps for non-tenure track faculty, according to a proposal draft released on the WOAW website. While the College has agreed to streamline the titles of non-tenure track faculty, standardizing them across departments, the exact title of faculty has yet to be agreed upon.

After the meeting, attendees were encouraged to join WOAW members on a “Solidarity Stroll” from Founders Hall to Alumnae Hall, where the Board of Trustees of the College were expected to have dinner. People chanted “who’s got my back?/we’ve got your back” and “the faculty united will never be divided” on the way over to the hall, where union members placed a pro-union lawn sign in the green in front of the ballroom. Trustees had not yet arrived for dinner and attendees did not linger after the stroll.

This teach-in demonstrates part of UniLAd and the WOAW’s continuous effort toward student and community solidarity. UniLAd plans to host more educational events in the future, as well as community-focused events for students and faculty to socialize. 

Grimmett stressed the importance of community support for the union: “The college immediately recognizes … that they are contending with more than just five faculty members sitting across from them at the bargaining table. They’re negotiating with an entire community.”

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Valida Pau, Sazma Sarwar, Lyanne Wang

The efforts of Wellesley’s non-tenured track faculty are part of a broader wave of organizing among academics across U.S. higher education institutions, pushing for higher wages, improved working conditions, and better job security. While tenure provides professors with near-total job security, these protections are often not offered for other faculty members who move in and out of the Wellesley academic system.

Bargaining breakdown

The Wellesley News follows the recent bargaining sessions and the advocacy among the wider College community. As of Sept. 26, the College and the Union have only tentatively agreed on seven out of 36 bargaining proposals outlined in WOAW’s tracker.

The agreed proposals include ground rules on collective bargaining such as regulations for Zoom, severability and the union-management committee, employment and workplace-related issues regarding health and safety, and job postings discipline and dismissal. 

A tentative agreement about Health and Safety policy was reached during the latest bargaining session on Sept. 24. This includes articles regarding the prompt notification of health and safety-related concerns, the provision of safety-related equipment, and training expectations for faculty.

Disagreements over faculty titles persist. While WOAW proposed renaming lecturers and senior lecturers to “Assistant Professor of the Practice” and “Professor of the Practice,” the College insisted on the existing titles of “Lecturer” and “Senior Lecturer.” However, the College agreed that senior lecturers can be promoted to “Principal Lecturer” after 10 years in the position. The College had previously proposed the title “Master Lecturer” for this position, which the Union argued was rooted in racial and gendered language.

The College also proposed to increase teaching and advising expectations. As of August 20, the College proposed to increase the full-time teaching workload from four to five courses and advise 15-25 students per year. WOAW has not yet discussed a counterproposal in the bargaining session with the College. 

At direct peer institutions including Barnard College, non-tenured faculty are expected to teach five to six courses each semester. As Barnard’s courses vary from one credit-hours to 4 credit-hours the News cannot independently verify how teaching workload differs. 

WOAW and the College have yet to discuss compensation or benefits-related topics. For the fiscal year 2023–2024, the average compensation for full-time lecturers and ISLs was $92,995 alongside benefits, according to the College. However, the current starting salary for the group stands at $64,516. Salaries differ within the non-tenured track faculty and some were offered higher salaries before the College cut starting salary in 2008. 

Sharpening priorities 

For the upcoming bargaining sessions, one goal WOAW is still pushing for is a union-centered grievance process around workplace harassment, according to faculty union members. 

“We just want there to be an option for faculty to be able to go through their union when something like this comes up. Some of the benefits of doing that, of going to your union, is that you could have clearer timelines, shorter timelines to getting to finding a resolution to the issue,” said Anne Brubaker, Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program.

The Wellesley News previously reported that WOAW is circulating an open letter to the senior college administrations advocating for such changes. Over 590 faculty, staff, students and alumni have signed the open letter as of Oct 1. 

The College’s bargaining update webpage states that the College intends to maintain a “single, College-wide set of policies and procedures.” The Union’s proposal, exclusive to Union members, would allow them to “sidestep” college processes, it said.

In a fact sheet provided by the College, they said the College’s proposal enables union members to “immediately access supportive measures after filing a complaint” and allows them to “file a union grievance” if the claimant is not satisfied with the investigation result.

The College and WOAW failed to reach an agreement at the most recent bargaining session. 

“A wild goose chase:” Concerns over language and pacing

Negotiating the first collective bargaining contract often requires more than a year, but concerns about the current pacing, the College’s bargaining strategy and language mount among Union members. 

“Even though we recognize that a first contract has a lot of dimensions to it, it feels as though there are things that could be easily settled upon,” said Brubaker.

The Union said they had meetings separated by a few weeks, which could be a “strategy on the part of the college.” Between May 30 to August 20, both parties met for six sessions that skipped the week of June 16, according to the bargaining tracker. 

The College’s initial counter to the Union’s proposal may have contributed to delays, according to WOAW. The process of bargaining typically involved tracking changes by crossing out and adding new text on proposals and counter-proposals. 

“Instead of returning our proposal and responding to it, they’ll write a whole new one, which is sort of like a wild goose chase,” said Heather Bryant, Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program.

Members also stated that the College would alter certain language after both sides had already reached a tentative agreement on articles.

Possible divisions

WOAW members have expressed concerns over potential divisions between faculty in and out of the union through language used by the College. 

At convocation, President Johnson’s message “Welcome to our new faculty, to our new administrative and staff and union members,” which WOAW members interpreted as drawing a distinction between faculty and members of the union.

“The effect of the rhetoric throughout is this: there’s the college, and then there’s the Union, and the Union is somehow not a part of the college community, which seems to fly in the face of the stated goal of coming together for the betterment of all of the college,” said Paul Martorelli, Lecturer in Political Science. 

Furthermore, members describe worries that the College has not made it clear to tenured faculty that it is now acceptable for dialogues with union members discussing the Union itself. While tenure-track faculty were not allowed to discuss the union with non-tenure track faculty as WOAW was being constituted, this is no longer the case.

The College has altered eligibility requirements for opportunities, said WOAW representatives. Flagship programs such as the Albright Institute and the Hillary Rodham Center do not currently accept applications from non-tenure track faculty in bargaining. 

“[The College is] very quick to say, ‘Well, you’re in bargaining, so we cannot discuss that.’ They’ve extended that much more broadly than it makes sense, basically, to everything,” said Bryant. 

“Eligibility for these programs is part of the terms and conditions of employment, which are currently being negotiated between the union and the College. Therefore, the College has not yet taken any position on whether bargaining unit employees can participate in faculty initiatives that have been newly introduced since the unionization vote,” said a Wellesley College spokesperson in a response to the News.

However, the College’s response did not include any additional comments on these specific concerns addressed by WOAW. In an email to the News, the College said the Community should refer to the College’s website for any updates and questions.

“Energy Bolt” 

Going back into the school year, the Union said they are excited about the “energy bolt” from the Wellesley community that could impact the bargaining process.

Many of the union’s proposals are relevant to the student body, said Bryant. For example, the rigor of recommendation letters could be stronger depending on the lecturer’s title, and the growing number of visiting faculty could impact the future of longer-term student-teacher relationships.

“The administration sometimes forgets that when things are better for the faculty, things are better for the students. That’s improving the quality of our education, so it’s in our self-interest that they have better conditions,” said Alex Teasley ‘27.

The past year has seen a swift turnaround of unionization at Wellesley College, from the announcement in November, the legal status ratified in February to the start of bargaining in May. This year, WOAW hopes that this momentum and upcoming bargaining sessions will help continue their work.

“I think our major goal has shifted, which is to win this contract fairly, equitably and quickly,” said Martorelli. 

Reporting by Valida Pau, Christina Ding and Ruby Barenberg. Contact the editors responsible for this story: Sazma Sarwar, Lyanne Wang

(Updated with additional information provided by the College in paragraph 14, non-tenured track faculty starting salary in paragraph 9.)