Important Update, Taking the high road into the summer

Fellow student workers,

This semester, all of us have taken huge steps together toward winning our union and a real voice in our workplace!

First things first:

Before we get into updates: it’s possible that we could have our union election over the summer with mail-in ballots (more about that below!). So make sure your mailing address is up-to-date with Berea so that you can receive your ballot from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). You can update your address herewith where you’ll receive mail this summer; it just takes a minute.

A Majority of Us Stand Together:

Now for some updates! We continue to talk with coworkers who are hearing about our union for the first time and want to sign a card, sign onto the mission statement, and get involved. We had a great end-of-semester town hall this week and showed off a beautiful banner with our mission statement signatures. It’s really powerful to see our majority–hundreds and hundreds of us who have shown our solidarity by putting our names on our positive vision for Berea.

What’s This About A Subpoena?

We have a right to unionize and a democratic vision for making Berea better for everyone. But Berea’s administration continues to interfere with our rights with delay tactics and by trying to scare and confuse us. The administration sent you and maybe even your family emails and letters related to FERPA, a federal law about student privacy. The administration contacted every single student worker at Berea, whether or not they signed a union authorization card.

The subpoena document that we all received was sent because the college refused to voluntarily provide standard information to the NLRB–as a way to intentionally delay our union election. The subpoena does not make your information available to the general public. Thousands of student workers at other colleges and universities have unionized through elections without FERPA issues. But Berea’s administration is using FERPA compliance and the NLRB’s standard processes as an opportunity to confuse and delay. No one has to go to Cincinnati and in fact, it was not even necessary for you or your family to receive that notification in the mail in the first place.

The High Road:

The administration could take the high road at any time. They could drop their objections and agree to a union election. Or they could voluntarily recognize our union because we’ve already demonstrated majority support for unionizing. A group of us on the organizing committee went to President Nixon and the College’s Executive Council this week and asked for voluntary recognition.

Going into Summer:

We will likely have our election this summer. Once we get a decision from the National Labor Relations Board, the agency will give us election dates. They will mail out paper ballots. Once you receive it in the mail, you check the box for our union, CWA, and mail it back with the envelope they enclose. The whole process can take 4 - 6 weeks from the time they mail them, to the time the ballots are counted. We will be updating you as soon as we know more with email, text and phone calls. Make sure your address is updated with Berea here, so you receive your ballot. There will be an opportunity to request a ballot from the NLRB if you do not receive one.

Get Excited!

We will be holding socials on campus and Zoom meetings over the summer to keep everyone up to date and engaged. Our union is for all of us and everyone is welcome on the organizing committee. If you want to get involved in building our union, you can reach out to us at our email: berea@ucw-cwa.org.

Good luck with finals, and congratulations to everyone who’s graduating!

On behalf of the United Student Workers of Berea-CWA Organizing Committee,

Lilli Shelton, Forestry Apprentice Technician, Forestry, Class of 2024
James Stabler, Mentor, CELTS, Class of 2027