To: Wellesley College Faculty and Staff
From: Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer
Re: Update on union election details
Date: December 21, 2023
Representatives of the College, the WOAW-UAW and the Regional Director of the NLRB have agreed today on the details of a secret ballot election to determine whether or not WOAW-UAW shall become the exclusive bargaining representative for all employees in the defined voting unit. The parties have stipulated the following definition of the voting unit.
INCLUDED IN THE UNIT:
All full-time and regular part-time employees employed by Wellesley College at any of the Employer’s facilities, regardless of funding source, in the following positions: faculty on term appointments, defined as visiting lecturers, lecturers, senior lecturers, adjunct assistant professors, distinguished visiting lecturers, visiting assistant professors, distinguished visiting associate professors, distinguished visiting professors, distinguished senior lecturers; instructors in science laboratory, and senior instructors in science laboratory; and fellows funded by the Andrew Mellon post-doctoral fellowship endowment.
EXCLUDED FROM THE UNIT:
- Tenured and tenure-track faculty
- All employees who are managerial and/or supervisory as defined in the Act, including director of the Writing Program; director of the Botanical Garden; director of the Child Study Center; director of theatre and theatre studies; curator of special collections; associate provost; co-chair of computer science; director of New England Arts & Architecture Program; director of Book Studies Program; co-chair of music; research scientists and administrators within the Wellesley Centers for Women;
- All faculty in Physical Education Recreation & Athletics (PERA);
- All other College employees, including but not limited to undergraduate student employees, post-doctoral workers/fellows (other than Andrew Mellon postdoctoral fellows); and supervisors and guards as defined in the Act.
The election has been scheduled for January 29 and 30, 2024. It will be held on campus in the Alumnae Ballroom in the Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Hall between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on both days. The election will be conducted by an agent of Region 1 of the National Labor Relations Board. Each party will be entitled to an observer at the election.
The election is a secret ballot election and the only question on the ballot will be whether or not the WOAW-UAW will be chosen as the exclusive representative of faculty in the unit for negotiating with respect to wages, hours and other terms of employment. The election is determined by a majority of those eligible faculty who turn out to vote, just like a political election.
While voting is not required, it is important that all eligible voters exercise their right to vote in this election. I encourage you to become fully informed on all issues and what unionization means for you before you vote. The College will continue to provide information on this important question for your review and consideration, but, of course, if you have particular questions that you would like addressed, you can submit them here.
