A unit of 43 custodians at Reed College is without a new union contract, and the sticking point is a stumper: SEIU Local 49 and the college are basically in agreement on everything but one clause, a union proposal that sounds uncontroversial. “Nothing in this article waives employees’ rights otherwise identified in this collective bargaining agreement or under any federal or state laws,” said the union’s proposed language.
The clause has to do with management rights, and it’s a priority for bargaining unit members after a management decision that turned some workers’ lives upside down. Reed custodians until recently worked three shifts: day, swing, and graveyard. But this summer Reed eliminated graveyard, saying it wasn’t safe, and transferred those six workers to the other shifts. It disrupted the lives of long-time employees who say they valued graveyard shift because it left other hours free to care for loved ones or sync with day care hours. More than half of the 43 custodians have been at Reed more than 10 years. Even though it affected just a handful of workers, they weren’t consulted, and the local is operating on the principle that all workers must stand together. Local 49 has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board over the unilateral action.
After a well-attended Aug. 26 rally that drew support from students and faculty, the Labor Press reached out to Reed for an explanation. A Reed spokesperson asked for emailed questions, and then didn’t answer any of them, instead emailing a statement saying the college values its employees and remains in conversation with Local 49.
