Washington State University leaders are taking steps to prepare for a possible strike by the union representing academic student employees.
According to union sources, represented student employees approved the strike authorization vote that was conducted Nov. 6. However, there was no indication at this time if work stoppages will occur.
A website addressing common questions that faculty, researchers, and staff may have regarding possible job actions and work stoppages has been prepared by Human Resource Services.
WSU and the UAW are in the process of negotiating an initial contract for the represented student employees. As of November 2023, the two sides have met more than two dozen times and passed more than 200 proposals back and forth covering some 40 different contract articles. The university notes that WSU and the UAW have reached tentative agreement on more than a dozen articles. Information regarding progress on contract negotiations can be found on WSU’s contract negotiations update website.
Academic student employees at WSU chose to unionize In November 2022. They are now represented by the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 4121. The UAW union represents ASEs across all campuses and extension centers in the WSU system.
The university will share additional information as it becomes available.
[Editor’s note: The university updated its statement Nov. 8 to reflect the outcome of the strike authorization vote after learning from union sources that it had been approved.]
