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Learn more about why we, Bates Educators and Staff, are forming a union with our coworkers to protect and make progress for ourselves, our students, and the Bates community.
Across our programs and departments, we all work to ensure our students’ learning and living experiences are the best they can be. Those of us who are educators teach, some of us mentor students, and others work to sustain quality learning environments. Through our union we will protect and advance Bates’ community of learning, which depends on our work. Together, we can more effectively advocate for each others’ needs in ways that we could not alone, or divided into smaller groups. We are forming our wall-to-wall union because we are stronger together.
Protecting and Improving
Our Benefits
Last year, the administration stopped paying into our retirement. Right now, nothing is protecting our benefits: the administration can still change or end a benefit without asking us. Our benefits are too important for us to not have a say in any changes. We need a seat at the table and the ability to say yes or no to changes. We are voting yes to form our union to gain the right to collectively bargain, so management cannot make changes to our benefits without our approval and input. By forming our union, we can also improve our benefits.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Too many staff of color at Bates have left due to burnout, and the high turnover impacts our students. Too many employees experience pushback when they try to do equity work. Many face discrimination or harassment at work with no avenues to address. We are voting yes to form our union to gain the right to collectively bargain a contract that centers DEI issues, policies, and practices we need.
Fair Pay and Sustainable
Working Conditions
Although we love many aspects about working at Bates, there is so much we can work together to improve. We are voting yes to form our union to win the right to collectively bargain a contract that ensures we are paid fairly, rewarded for our service, and have a say over our work. Here are some examples of what other union workers have negotiated: