SOUTH HADLEY — Nearly 200 Mount Holyoke College staff who went on strike early Tuesday morning called the walk out off about 24 hours later and returned to work on Wednesday, saying they feel satisfied that the college heard their concerns.
“We had to get our 200 voices together to scream loud enough so that administration would hear us that what they were offering was not enough,” 32BJ SEIU Exsecutive Vice President Kevin Brown said. “We sent that message yesterday and we were loud enough that the administration heard what we were saying.”
The college’s administration agreed to resume negotiations on Friday with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 32BJ, which represents 170 dining staff and facilities workers, and United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of Americas Local 2322, bargaining on behalf of about 25 housekeepers.
Bargaining teams plan to continue to advocate for a living wage, estimated to a minimum of $24.59. 32BJ SEIU also seeks access to a legal fund to hire attorneys in civil matters, such as immigration.
Brown also adds that the unions hope to address what he called unfair labor practices of the college. Prior to striking, Brown said that administration threatened to revoke benefits or overtime pay for any striking employee.
“They (college administration) have to recant the threats and say they won’t threaten workers who exercise their rights under the law,” Brown said.
Mount Holyoke officials confirmed in a statement that staff members returned to work on Wednesday.
“The College remains committed to negotiating in good faith and establishing a contract,” the statement read.
Both unions have been in negotiations since spring, and previous contracts expired in June and July, so staff have started the semester without a contract.
The strike lasted roughly 24 hours before campus workers picked up shifts again. Staff began picketing at 5 a.m. on Tuesday at all five entrances to the campus. Nearly 12 hours later, about 350 students and faculty joined the campus workers for a march along the college property line.
Brown said that he’s “cautiously optimistic” for negotiations on Friday. However, if administration returns with a deal union members find unsatisfactory, the union will consider another strike.
“The workers have been fighting for living wage and access to legal fund benefit for five months,” Brown said. “To be that united around living wage and a legal fund benefit proves that this matters to these workers. “
