If you are a Dartmouth student, worker, faculty, student organization, department or alumni, or wish to support our efforts from outside our community, you can sign on to this letter asking the administration for a card-check agreement, donate to our union fund (Venmo @swcdartmouth), follow us and share us on social media, and contact us with words of solidarity.
JANUARY 5, 2022 (HANOVER, NH)
Open Letter to Dartmouth Administration from DDS Student Workers, Organizing Under the Student Worker Collective at Dartmouth (SWCD)
Dear Board of Trustees, President Hanlon, Provost Kotz and all involved leadership,
We, Dartmouth Dining Services student workers, organizing under the Student Worker Collective at Dartmouth (SWCD), are writing to you to notify you of our intent to unionize. A supermajority of student workers at all Dartmouth Dining Services locations have signed cards expressing their intent to be members of and be represented by the SWCD. We are asking you to recognize us voluntarily through a card-check agreement, whereby an agreed-upon third-party will verify that a majority of student workers have agreed to unionize, without an election through the National Labor Relations Board that will unnecessarily draw out the process. We also approach you with key COVID-related issues, namely sick pay during missed shifts and the necessity of collaborative and dynamic communication channels between the administration and workers, that must be addressed as soon as possible.
As student workers, we have taken this step in a cooperative spirit. Our intent in unionizing is to make Dartmouth a flourishing community for all. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen what a lack of student and worker representation in the decision-making process of our College has led to. Seeking to cut losses, the College has refrained from investing in key resources that would help alleviate the toll the pandemic has taken on its community. A failure to respond effectively to issues such as mental health, rent increases, poverty stipends and insufficient wages has led to a deterioration of the well-being of our College. The immense increase of the endowment from 6.2 billion to 8.5 billion USD further highlights the missteps taken throughout the last two years–and reminds us all that they were avoidable. We believe that these missteps and failures have primarily resulted from a lack of student and worker representation in the decision-making process. We hold that it is not possible to effectively govern the College in such a way as to benefit its real shareholders, its students and workers, without first hearing their voices.
By recognizing our union voluntarily and not resorting to union-busting efforts seen at other locations like Kenyon and Columbia, the College will be expressing its interest in a democratic, flourishing community, where students and workers work together with our leadership to chart the best course for everyone. Some universities have said that unions put a third party between the employer and the employee, and disrupt peaceful relationships in the workplace. We hope that the College does not agree with these characterizations: unions are not third parties—they are organizations of workers, and so as long as the College recognizes the absolute legal right of workers to unionize, there is no reason for such disruptions to occur. Unions are the prime way workers can come together, exercise legitimate power, win and institutionalize their demands. We believe that only through a unionized campus, not through a fractured one, can the College be an equitable, democratic, flourishing place.
By recognizing our union voluntarily, the College will greatly increase its reputation as a worker-friendly institution, and will signal to all members of our community that it looks after them, and is willing to hear their united, democratically organized voice. After what we have seen throughout the pandemic, another approach would not be feasible. Union-busting would benefit no one, neither the workers nor the College.
One way such an approach can help better our community is through cooperation on the following issue: in its recent communication to the community, the College has instituted revised, looser COVID protocols, anticipating a larger infection rate, such as in-dorm isolation and directing infected individuals to go out and pick up food on their own. These policies will be directly and indirectly exposing workers to COVID-19 at rates never seen before during the pandemic. Dining workers and custodians will be facing a surge of COVID-positive students; library, Hinman, and Collis employees, as well as many others working all across campus will be unevenly exposed to the circulation of the virus. Given such a situation, the appropriate response is two-pronged: the College must pay every worker, including student workers, for hours missed due to COVID-19 isolation, and establish collaborative and dynamic channels of communication with workers to receive feedback on issues like risk, safety, and exposure. This would help foster a sense of unity, and allow us all safer passage out of the pandemic. Until then, we will be running a mutual aid fund to cover missed shifts to the best of our ability.
We await a written response from you to both requests, union recognition and COVID-related demands, by 11:59 PM EST, Monday, January 17th, delivered to studentworkersdartmouth@gmail.com.
Regards,
Student Worker Collective at Dartmouth
Under the National Labor Relations Act, private sector employees are guaranteed the right to organize, and no action can be taken by an employer against their employees in response to unionization efforts. More information can be found on the website of the National Labor Relations Board.
Our Supporters
As of 1/21/22, we have 1151 signatories.
Faculty and Professors
Departments and Programs
Program in African and African American Studies (AAAS)
Program in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Department of Art History
Department of English and Creative Writing
Department of German
Department of History
Department of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies (LALACS)
Department of Sociology
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Department of Theater
Professors
Abigail Neely, Assistant Professor of Geography
Ainsley Morse, Assistant Professor of Russian Literature
Alexander Chee, Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing
Analola Santana, Associate Professor of Spanish
Andrew McCann, Chair and Professor of English and Creative Writing
Annelise Orleck, Professor of History
Ayo A. Coly, Chair and Professor of African and African American Studies, Professor of Comparative Literature
Bethany Moreton, Professor of History
Brian Chaboyer, Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Bryan Winston, Lecturer in Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
Carlos Cortez Minchillo, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese
Carolyn Dever, Professor of English and Creative Writing
Cecilia Gaposchkin, Chair and Professor of History
César Alvarez, Assistant Professor of Music
Chris Drain, Lecturer of Writing and Rhetoric
Chris Sneddon, Chair and Professor of Geography
Christie Harner, Senior Lecturer of English and Creative Writing
Christopher MacEvitt, Chair of Middle Eastern Studies Program, Professor of Religion
Colleen Randall, Professor of Studio Art
Dan Kotlowitz, Chair and Professor of Theater
Dennis Washburn, Professor/Acting Chair for WGSS
Desiree Garcia, Associate Professor of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
Donald Pease, Professors of English and Creative Writing, Chairs of MALS
Douglas Moody, Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Portuguese
Edward Miller, Associate Professor of History
Eman Morsi, Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies
Eng-Beng lim, Associate Professor of WGSS
Francine A’ness, Lecturer of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Giavanna Munafo, Senior Lecturer of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Golnar Nikpour, Assistant Professor of History
Isabel Lozano-Renieblas, Chair and Professor of Spanish and Portuguese
Israel Reyes, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese
Iyabo Kwayana, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
Jacque Wernimont, Associate Professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Jami C. Powell, Curator of Indigenous Art, Hood Museum & Lecturer, Native American and Indigenous Studies
Jamie Horton, Associate Professor of Theater
Janice McCabe, Associate Professor of Sociology
Jeff Sharlet, Professor of English and Creative Writing
Jennifer Miller, Associate Professor of History
Jessica Man, Visiting Lecturer of History
Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, Assistant Professor of History
Jorge Cuéllar, Assistant Professor of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
Julia Rabig, Associate Professor of History
Kianny N. Antigua, Senior Lecturer of Spanish
Klaus Mladek, Chair and Associate Professor of German Studies, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature
Laura Edmondson, Professor of Theatre
Laurie Churba, Associate Professor of Theater
Lee Witters, Professor of Biological Sciences
Liz Mackey, Lecturer of Writing and Rhetoric
Lucas Hollister, Associate Professor of French and Italian
Lynn Patyk, Associate Professor of Russian
Mara Sabinson, Associate Professor of Theater and of Film and Television Studies
Marc Dixon, Chair and Professor of Sociology
Marcela Di Blasi, Assistant Professor of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies
Marcelo Gleiser, Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Maron Greenleaf, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Mary K. Coffey, Professor of Art History
Matthew Garcia, Chair and Professor of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies, Professor of History
Melanie Taylor, Professor of English and Native American Studies, House Professor of North Park House
Melissa Zeiger, Assistant Professor of English
Michael Ganio, Associate Professor of Theater
Michele Tine, Associate Professor of Sociology
Miles Blencowe, Professor of Physics
Mingwei Huang, Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Misty De Berry, Lecturer of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Mona Domosh, Professor of Geography
Monica White Ndounou, Associate Professor of Theater
Naaborko Sackeyfio-Lenoch, Associate Professor of History
Nelson Kasfir, Professor of Government, Emeritus
Pamela Voekel, Associate Professor of History
Patricia Lopez, Assistant Professor of Geography
Patricia Stuelke, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing
Paul Musselwhite, Associate Professor of History
Rebecca Clark, Lecturer of English
Reiko Ohnuma, Chair and Professor of Religion
Richard Beaudoin, Assistant Professor of Music
Richard E Denton, Research Professor in Physics and Astronomy
Richard Ned Lebow, Professor of Government, Emeritus
Sam Moodie, Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing
Sienna Craig, Professor of Anthropology, House Professor of South House
Silvia Spitta, Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature
Sunmin Kim, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Susanne Freidberg, Professor of Geology
Tania Convertini, Research Assistant Professor of French and Italian
Trica Keaton, Associate Professor of African and African American Studies
Tyler Monson, Lecturer of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Udi Greenberg, Associate Professor of History
Victoria Somoff, Chair and Associate Professor of Russian Language and Literature
William Cheng, Chair and Professor of Music
Yuliya Komska, Associate Professor of German Studies
Postdoctoral Fellows
Hannah Waits
Jonathan Cortez
Jorge Ramirez-Lopez
Nicholas T Rinehart
Sarah Kelly
Whitney Barlow Robles
Other College Affiliated Faculty
Christopher J Warren
Dana Kerdesky
Jordan Thorpe
Karla Bushway
Katja Koeppen
Kerrie Bushway
Kevin Donohue
Kristie Couser
Meredith Steinfels
Rory Gawler
Thomas H. Hampton
Tim Lenoch
Organizations and General Supporters
Organizations (* denotes non-Dartmouth affiliated)
Alpha Theta
Black Girls Are Magic
Black Praxis
Cabin and Trail
Coalition for Immigration Reform & Equality at Dartmouth (CoFIRED)
Dartmouth Brazilian Society
Dartmouth Chapter of American Association of Univerity Professors
Dartmouth College Democrats
Dartmouth Farm Club
Dartmouth Student Assembly
Dartmouth YDSA
FUERZA Farmworkers' Fund
GWISE
International Students' Association
KSWOC*
Latinx and Caribbean Council
LVDSA*
Meriden Congregational Church, UCC*
Migrant Justice*
Mississippi Freedom Writers Collective*
Northwestern University Graduate Workers*
Panarchy Undergraduate Society
People of Color Outdoors (POCO)
Phoenix Senior Society
Spare Rib Intersectional Feminist Zine at Dartmouth
Sunrise Dartmouth
The Afro American Society
The Dartmouth Radical
The Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals
The Tabard
Timber Team
Ukrainian Student Association
UO GTFF 3544*
Upper Valley DSA*
Vermont Staff Organization*
Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA)*
General Supporters
A. Naomi Paik
Aaron Rose
Adam Koenig
Adriel Ferreira Trajano
Alan Cuevas
Alan Luis SB
Alexa Wolfson
Allison C
Alok Panray
Amelia Carnell
Aminata Harley
Amir Malkami
Anaïs Peterson
Angel Lacano
Angie RU
Anne Bitsie
Ariane Oliveira Motta
Armani Rodriguez
Aspen Irons
Ben Zucker
Bethany Fleishman
Bevan Dunbar
Bianca Alvarado
Brayhan Acosta
Brian Jacobel
Bridget Connolly
Brittany Clottey
Brittany Evelyn
Bryn Chambers
Cade Klimek
Cameron Janumala
Carlos Diaz
Carmen Alejo
Carmen Jerez
Carmen Lidia Jerez
Carol Bohmer
Carol Weingeist
Carolina Barbosa Lindquist
Chadwick Gasman
Charity Jordan
Christina Huber
Christine Castro
Christine Janumala
Cindy Berganza
Cláudia Mesquita da Rosa
Cooper Komatsu
Cyn Huang
Dahlia Bekong
Daisy Marin
Daniel Murphy
Danny Brzozowski
Dawn Anderson
Devin Wilkie
Diana Diaz
Eduarda de Aquino Faccini
Elicie Edmond
Elise Dilla
Elizabeth Yeo
Ellen David Friedman
Emil Brosius
Emili Sawada
Emily Satterfield
Enjoli Hall
Erika Ballou
Farhan Moed
Flávia da Silva Iespa
Frances Lamontagne
Gabriel Xavier
Gabriella Zane
Gabrielle Brown
Genesis De Jesus
Guilhermrme de Araujo Gomes
Guillermo Santos
Hannah McConnaughey
Harry Samuels
Hayden Smith
Hilda Maria
Hulices Murillo
Hyunchoon Kim
Imani McGregor
Inez Blanco
Irene Koch
Ivonne Campuzano
Janet Asante
Janine Paiva Avellar
Jared Hansen
Jasmine Pérez
Jason Hill
Jeevan Dsouza
Jeff Lamontagne
Jeffrey Danquah
Jerry Lamontagne
João Haufes
João Pedro do Prado Sanches
Jocelyn Munoz
Joe DeAngelo
Joe Hermann
Joey Ilagan
Jonathan Filgueiras
Jonathan Lippolis
Jordan Lee
Jose Campuzano
Jose-Miguel Rosindo de Oliveira
Joy Majwega
Juan De la Cruz
Judith Reeve
Júlia Cauduro
Julia Duvall
Justin Nayak
Karen Agustin
Karen Graubart
Karina LaRubbio
Katharine Wang
Katherine Dailey
Kathleen Mah
Kathleen Shepherd
Katie Katz
Kaulani Anglero
Kayke Gustavo Morais
Kelsey Mills
Kevin Mcnamara
Kilmer Coelho
Kim Minseo
Kimberly Martinez
Kristen Miller
Kyle Gillette
Laila Ruffin
Lalesca Medeiros, UnB '23
Laura Moreira
Laura Tonso
Lauren Yeo
Lawrence Kim
Leena Yumeen
Lena Myers
Lev Camara
Liam Monroe
Liesel Bauer
Lily Megale
Liz Blum
Lizzie Suarez
Lorena Santoyo
Lorenzita Santos
Love Avril Jr
Luisa Diniz
Luke Henson
Lynn Tran
Mailí
Margot Chernyak
Mariana Medina
Mariela Barrales
Marlene Alberto
Mary Connors
Mary Jane Mulligan
Mary McManus
Matheus de Oliveira Soares
Matheus Oliveira
Matthew Polk
Mauro Nunes Guimarães
Maya S
Meekie Inman
Melody Del Cid
Mercelena Gallego
Meryl Liu
Mia Cucufate
Mica Gladding
Micaela Brena
Minnie Wood
Miriam Ashton
Mollie Enck
Molly Orr
Morgan Goldsmith
Murilo Garcia
Nadia Maria Lorini
Nana Adu
Natasha Boogaard
Nathalia A
Nathalie Marquez
Naysa
Ng Li Ann
Nick Becker
Nisreen Shukairy
Pamela Navarrete
Paul John Cook
Paul Shafer
Pedro Morales
Rachel Kim
Rafael Jerez Rosario
Raul Reis
Rayen Hovinga
Rev. John Gregory-Davis
Reyna Reyes
Rhonda Haley
Ricardo Aguilar
Ricardo Santoyo
Robert Alegre
Robert Henry Boody
Sabrina Vaga
Sally Smith
Samantha Treviño
Sara Costa Pedreira
Sara Kenney
Sarah Rodriguez
Senai Robinson
Sergio Tarango
Seth Lazuli
Shaneen Upal
Shannon Leung
Sigal Felber, KSWOC
Soleil Devonish
Soonjae Kwon
Spencer Dougan
Spencer Goldrich
Stella Tallmont
Stuart F Russo-Savage
Supri Aama
Susan Stokley
Suzanne McClung
Sydney Bryant
Tahiyya Asad
Taylor Clark
Thainá Figueiro
Thalia Dubois
Thiago Zanon Denegri Lima
Tiffany Chhuor
Tricia
Tylar Colleluori
Tyler Phinney
Valeria Valencia
Valerie Leonorcita
Valerie Lobato
Valerie Morales
Victor Arruda
Victor Coratti Coelho
Vijaya Dutt
Vinicius Guerra
Vitória Rodrigues de Oliveira
Vivian Vazquez
Xavier Flory
Yolanda Ni
Zenniviv Bansah
Zoe Packel