Trustees Walk Out as UGSDW Asks for Dialogue

On February 8, to reiterate our demand for President Kington to meet with us and discuss our ongoing expansion campaign, 40 UGSDW members peacefully disrupted a meeting of the trustees of the college. Tellingly, the trustees walked out on us as we sang about “love between our brothers and our sisters.”

Our message was simple: Grinnell continues to have workplace issues, and student workers still overwhelmingly want a union. The only way this issue will be resolved is through fair and open dialogue between the two sides. There are serious issues, but they can and should be worked out by both sides coming to an agreement. Despite the administration’s claims, there is absolutely no legal barrier to this type of preliminary conversation. The exact same process of initial discussion leading to a framework agreement, like the one we’ve proposed, has worked successfully at Brown University, Georgetown University, and Columbia University.

Grinnell cannot continue with business as usual while it continues to refuse to meet with the representatives of student labor. Clearly, President Kington can and should meet with UGSDW immediately.