a message from WMU-AAUP president, Dr. Cathryn Bailey

With the negotiation deadline just TWO DAYS away, the WMU Administration continues to insist that Western still can’t afford meaningful raises for employees. Even after two long days of mediation—prematurely initiated by the WMU Administration for self-interested reasons—there has been little change in their position. As you may recall, the Administration proudly made an initial raise offer of 2.75/2.5 (first and second year) and then refused to budge during countless hours of negotiations, despite the fact that the WMU-AAUP had compromised significantly—our offer at that point had been an 8/8. 

The Administration’s latest offer—after days of intense public action and other forms of pressure by the WMU-AAUP and allies—is sort of (but not really) a 3/3. The WMU-AAUP has, for its part, continued to bargain diligently and in good faith—for strategic reasons, we cannot share more details here—recognizing that all negotiations require compromise. However, as you have probably noted, the Administration has, yet again, come up by an itty bitty baby step—¼ of A SINGLE PERCENTAGE point—making it clear that President Montgomery, his anti-union attorney, and his negotiation team have not yet been persuaded of our love for Western or our determination. Our public actions are making a difference—see a few photos below from Move-In Day and Bronco Bash—but we must keep up the pressure.

As I urge you to show up today at noon in front of the Student Center—wearing black or red if you don’t have a WMU-AAUP t-shirt—I’ll underscore a point I’ve been shouting from the rooftops (including in this radio interview yesterday): The battle President Montgomery has been waging on WMU employees at the table is only the latest assault in a long series of attacks over many years. This Administration does not merely aim to save some pennies now, but to break the back of Western’s powerhouse faculty union once and for all. President Montgomery, a labor scholar himself, understands perfectly well that if he can drive the WMU-AAUP to its knees—to make one of the oldest, proudest faculty unions in the country beg for scraps—then he will clear the way to further exploit other Western employee groups as well. So, again, for WMU employees, what’s happening now is partly about securing decent raises, but it’s also about refusing to cede to abusive bureaucrats who seem determined to starve WMU’s core mission while enriching themselves. 

If you both want decent raises and are willing to fight for the soul of our university, please: 

  • stop by Montague House now, grab some posters/fliers, and we’ll provide you with some especially strategic suggestions about what to do with them (key locations will be changing daily)
  • attend our rally TODAY, Aug 28 (also open to allies, students, and community members) at noon in front of the Student Center. Wear black or red if you don’t have one of our t-shirts
  • subscribe to the official WMU-AAUP blog for the latest updates and calls to action, and follow us on Facebook
  • self-nominate to serve on the strike preparation working group if you’re a member by emailing staff@wmuaaup.net
  • reach out to members of the Board of Trustees, and to local and state elected officials, and ask for their support in our efforts to get WMU to renew its commitment to its academic mission, to its employees, and to our students and their families (here’s an example of letter sent to each Board member from WMU-AAUP president, Cathryn Bailey) 
  • share our message widely, by email, social media, and in conversation. Remember, the Administration has been using its all-campus email to discredit employees while we must rely on one another to get the word out

Got questions? Reach out to staff@wmuaaup.net, or to the Chapter president or Vice President. Additional info at www.wmuaaup.org 

Participants from FOUR different employee groups showed up to both Move-In Day and Bronco Bash to stand with the WMU-AAUP
On a steamy hot day, scores of faculty and allies rallied in the heart of Bronco Bash to shout our determination to fight for our students and ourselves
Making their way through Bronco Bash, the group shouted support for WMU’s academic mission and then continued to rally inside the Administration Building, including sharing their hopes for a new future for Western
President Montgomery and Provost Vasquez Heilig were absent, but signs and fliers were left for them outside their offices
In addition to the Bronco Bash action, scores of faculty and allies rallied at Student Move-In Day, sharing treats with students and providing information about the escalating tensions on campus
Another scene from Move-In Day where many students and their parents cheered on WMU-AAUP members and allies

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