A majority of Academic Student Employees at WSU voted to authorize WSU-CASE’s bargaining team to call a strike if deemed necessary.
According to a previous Evergreen article, the vote was held from Oct. 30 –Nov. 6. 1,161 votes were cast, with 93% of the vote being in favor of the authorization.
“A strong majority of our nearly 1,800 person unit have voted to authorize our Bargaining Committee to call for a strike if circumstances warrant, such as WSU continuing to bargain in bad faith,” a post from WSU-CASE’s Facebook said. “It is clear that ASEs at WSU are united in our frustration and determination to stop WSU’s unlawful and unproductive behavior at the bargaining table.”
According to the same article, WSU-CASE was certified Nov. 2022 and got their first bargaining date in February 2023. Some ASEs have expressed the opinion that WSU has not been bargaining in good faith.
“I voted yes because it shows our resolve to be treated with the dignity we deserve and to hold the University Administration accountable for their conduct in bargaining,” Chia-Hui Chen, research assistant and international scholar, said, according to a The Stand article.
In Sept. 2023, WSU-CASE filed an unfair labor lawsuit against WSU. During their bargaining sessions, some of their grievances have included poor healthcare, low wages and improper workplace protections.
“[WSU has] demonstrated that they will stall on our strong and fair collective bargaining agreement,” research assistant Acacia Patterson said in a previous Evergreen article. “But we will continue to put pressure on them to speed up this process so that we can reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
At the moment, no specific date has been set for a strike. According to The Stand, the WSU-CASE/United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America Bargaining Team will meet to discuss strike dates and announce dates if it is considered necessary to call a strike.
“This vote demonstrates that Academic Student Employees at Washington State University are united in their effort to secure a strong first contract. Their UAW siblings are proud to support them as they stand up to bad faith bargaining by their employer,” Mike Miller, UAW Region 6 Director, said.
