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