To: Wellesley College Faculty, Staff, and Students
From: Courtney Coile, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College, and Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer
Re: Non-tenure track faculty union announces outcome of strike authorization vote
Date: February 21, 2025
We are writing with an update about the collective bargaining process currently underway at the College with our non-tenure track (NTT) faculty union, WOAW-UAW.
Since May 2024, our bargaining team has been actively meeting and negotiating a first contract with WOAW-UAW. First contracts take time; in fact, they can often take more than a year of negotiations to complete.
Despite progress in our ongoing negotiations, WOAW-UAW announced earlier today that it has passed a strike authorization vote. To be clear, this does not mean a strike has been called at this time, or even that one will be called in the future. The vote is procedural only and grants the union’s bargaining committee the authority to formally commence a strike at a future date.
We fully appreciate that the prospect of the union deciding to strike creates uncertainty for faculty, staff, and students. In the event of a strike, the College’s top priority will be the academic experience of our students, and we are preparing contingency plans to minimize disruptions and ensure the continuity of our academic program. At the same time, we are optimistic that the bargaining teams will reach an agreement with WOAW-UAW that includes fair wages and benefits and takes into account the needs of our broader community and the long-term financial health of the College.
We will continue to provide the Wellesley community with important information and updates regarding the ongoing negotiations on our dedicated NTT unionization website.