The Macalester Undergraduate Workers Union-United Auto Workers (MUWU-UAW) emphasizes two positives from the summer: their communication with Macalester administration and negotiations around student employment policies for non-work-study students.
Since Macalester undergraduate workers voted to unionize last February and begin the affiliation process with United Auto Workers (UAW), MUWU-UAW representatives have been outspoken about a number of policies they deem concerning. Additionally, MUWU-UAW has begun a vote to finalize its affiliation with United Auto Workers. Results will be available on Friday, Sept. 12.
One of the policies of concern to the union, announced by representatives of Macalester’s student employment program on April 7, would restrict entry-level positions for students who do not receive financial aid directed towards student employment, referred to as a work-study or work award. The announcement, which appeared in the Mac Daily, stated that all entry-level student employment positions would be reserved for work-study students.
Around the time of the announcement, representatives from Macalester’s student employment program and Vice President of Administration and Finance, Patricia Langer, stated in emails to The Mac Weekly that the change was made to ensure that all students receiving work-study awards can find suitable jobs at Macalester. They added that the new enforcements reflect the continuous mission of the Macalester student employment program to be a financial aid program first and foremost for students with work-study.
The prior practice of Macalester’s student employment program allowed non-work-study students to begin working by Oct. 1, MUWU-UAW’s External Organizer Emily said. Emily chose to go by her first name as a condition of anonymity. The Mac Weekly has not yet confirmed this with representatives of the Macalester student employment program.
While MUWU-UAW agrees that students with work-study awards should receive priority for student employment positions, they took primary issue with what they claim to be a lack of clear communication to students and supervisors about the policy change.
“Our issue was the lack of communication around this change, both to us as a union, to the students who are affected by it, and the supervisors,” Emily said. “So theoretically, [the policy] was always October 1. But in a lot of cases, in practice, you would start September 1.”
Now, after cooperation between MUWU-UAW and Macalester administration this summer, MUWU-UAW claims that the new policy has been reversed to the original. Students who do not receive a work-study award can begin the student employment process on Oct. 1, according to MUWU-UAW.
Langer did not respond to The Mac Weekly’s request for comment on communications with MUWU-UAW this summer.
In addition to the reversal of the policy enforcement change, Emily emphasized the positive and productive cooperation and communication between MUWU-UAW and representatives from Macalester’s administration.
“We have received political support from elected officials at all levels of state governance, whose commitment to the good-faith following of the National Labor Relations Act allowed us to get to a place of open, honest, and productive conversation with the Macalester Administration,” Emily said.
