UGSDW President calls for strike date

By Taylor Nunley nunleyta@grinnell.edu

The president of the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW), Lena Wiebe `25, has called for a strike date following the events of the Dec. 8 collective bargaining meeting last semester. During the bargaining session, the UGSDW collective bargaining team officially proposed their base wage of $20 an hour to Grinnell College’s bargaining team; the College responded with a $10.75 an hour base wage.

Both bargaining teams have expressed their desire to continue to negotiate towards an agreed upon contract, but according to some UGSDW members and leadership, the College and UGSDW may quickly be approaching an impasse over wages.

“We’re certainly not at that point [of legal impasse] yet,” Wiebe said. “What I will say is that the College indicated to us at our last bargaining session before break … that we might be close to impasse based on our proposal and their proposal … They also told us that if we were expecting them to meet us somewhere in the middle between wage proposals, we might find it frustrating.” a strike were to happen, Dining Hall workers who report for their shift would be crossing the picket line.

In her conversation with the S&B, Wiebe also raised the issues of Just Cause, a set of protections that provide guidelines for firings and give legal redress to workers who are found to be fired without just cause. She said she believes if the College and UGSDW bargaining teams were to come to an agreement now, it would not include all the protections UGSDW is negotiating for student workers.

“I think that from where I’ve been sitting at the bargaining table, we won’t be able to get the contract that we want without taking some kind of action. And, I think that action will probably have to be a strike just based on where I’m sitting,” Wiebe said.

Currently, there is no contract covering all student workers of UGSDW. Under the current collective bargaining agreement between the College and UGSDW, which covers only dining workers, dining workers are not able to participate in a lawful strike until this agreement expires on June 30, 2023.

Makaila Hootman `25, a student worker in the mailroom, shared what the implications of a strike might mean for some low-income students. Though UGSDW has a strike-pay fund, which is a fund that would help continue to pay striking workers and is maintained by worker dues, this does not necessarily solve issues with students enrolled in a payroll deduction agreement.

“Strike wages might be great, but a lot of people use this [wages from on-campus jobs] to pay for their tuition. And, the school is not going to take this money as a substitute for their tuition,” Hootman said.

Morgan Lee `26 said the fight for a higher wage would likely benefit low-income students. “I’m all for it [a strike date],” she said. “My roommates talk about how hard it is, especially if you are on financial aid or you’re taking on a loan you have to pay.”

By Marcy Cassidy-Mapp cassidym@grinnell.edu

Sarah Brammer-Shlay led the first “An Exploration of Jewish Identity” session to open the door for open dialogue as a Jewish community on campus. Hosted in JRC 224A, the first three weekly sessions are planned for Feb. 7, 14 and 21, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Brammer-Shlay organized these talks as a rabbi and associate chaplain for Grinnell College to provide an intellectual space for interactive learning.

Coming from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and specializing in community building, Brammer-Shlay joined the College last August. She saw a chance for Grinnell students to explore their relationship with Jewishness and engage with it as more than a religious affiliation.

“We are a people, and we have lived in communities in extremely intentional ways and sculpted our communities to practice in specific ways, and so I really just wanted to give a space for students to explore what their Jewish identity means to them,” said Brammer-Schlay.

Five students attended the first session and were asked to engage with short readings by Jewish scholars provided at the event. They also engaged in an open discussion about belonging, behaving and believing, a framework Brammer-Shlay said she hoped would explore the different facets of Jewish personhood.

“Rabbi Sarah does a great job in creating balance. It was wonderful to have a Jewish intellectual space,” said Katie Babb `25, who attended the first session. “I would love to see more of this type of event. It was interesting to hear about many different Jewish backgrounds and religious views.”

Brammer-Shlay said her motivation to organize these classes came partially from her experience hosting Friday prayer services in the Dining Hall last semester. In those services, she noticed a desire from students to consider their Jewishness through a political and social justice lens, opening different entryways into Judaism.

Rabbi Sarah does a great job in creating balance. It was wonderful to have a Jewish intellectual space.

“It’s beautiful to be able to support folks as they explore what Judaism means for them, but also who they want to be, what purpose is, what values are, who they are. My job as one of the chaplains and Rabbi is to be a supportive presence in that process,” said Brammer-Shlay.

Brammer-Shlay said she intends to continue using the dining hall space and hopes to instigate further conversation.

“Having space for communal learning and communal conversation feels really core to support[ing] the learning of both Jewish and non-Jewish students on campus,” said Brammer-Shlay. “But it’s also something that fills my cup a lot too, and I really love teaching and facilitating conversation.”

Education concentration confirmed

Education — Continued from Front Page that studying education affords.”

“While dining workers cannot go on strike, they can honor a strike,” Wiebe said.

Under Article 2, Section 4 of the collective bargaining agreement between the College and UGSDW, dining workers would not be punished for refusing to cross a primary labor union picket line legally established by other Grinnell student workers.

A primary picket line takes place at the workplace of the employers that workers have a dispute with. For Dining Hall workers, this would need to take place outside of the Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC). If

Before a strike were to officially be declared, a vote would have to be called and a majority of UGSDW members would have to be in favor of it.

When the S&B reached out to Vice President for Communications and Marketing Ellen de Graffenreid about the proposed strike date and the implications it had for the College, she declined to comment.

As student workers, all staff members of the S&B will be included in future collective bargaining. The S&B remains an independent newspaper and is committed to maintaining its integrity in reporting

Of Grinnell College’s 16 peer institutions, defined by their similar size and level of academic rigor, 10 offer either a major or minor in education. Washington and Lee University is the only other school that offers a licensure program but no education major or minor. Purcell said she thinks that Grinnell College’s decision to keep pace with peer schools is coming at a critical time.

“Because there’s so much controversy around ideological battles that impact K-12 education,” said Purcell, “Anything that Grinnell College can do to help students equip themselves to participate in society, as effective educators, parents or citizens, is important terrain in U.S. society.”

Emma Kushnirsky `26, who plans on completing the concentration, noted that the politicization of education makes the introduction of the concentration especially timely.

“Education and teaching are inherently political. If you omit something, then that’s a political decision. Same for if you add something in. Curriculum decisions are increasingly relevant,” said Kushnirsky.

The concentration’s proposed credit structure stipulates a minimum of 22 credits. A minimum of 14 credits must come from within the education department, one school practicum course, two electives and a capstone experience. The additional credits can be fulfilled through a diverse range of classes offered in all divisions.

All students who complete the licensure program will automatically meet the concentration requirements. The concentration chair will be chosen later this spring through internal appointment, and the education department is compiling professors who are willing to be advisors.

“With the opportunity to study education critically through the concentration, hopefully that will help people see it as a critical field that is never stagnant,” said Kushnirsky.

Edited by corbinel@grinnell.edu