‘Without us, there is no UMass’: Unions representing staff decry bargaining tactics by administration at campus rally

AMHERST — Though the temperature rose to 90 degrees outside on Wednesday, the ire of many staff members at the University of Massachusetts was arguably fiercer.

Hundreds of those union members gathered outside of the Whitmore Administration building to state their grievances and highlight what they claim are “unfair tactics employed by the University’s administration in collective bargaining negotiations” after more than 10 months of bargaining, according to a statement from the University Staff Association (USA).

The association, which organized the rally, represents 850 clerical, technical and administrative employees at the UMass flagship campus. It is affiliated with the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the National Education Association and is governed by an executive committee and the general board of 12 elected members.

USA representatives said the two sides were closing in on a contract before the university added a proposal for timekeeping to the deal through software called Kronos, which tracks employees’ time and attendance.

In an interview with the Gazette, Camille Godbout-Chooinard, USA communications chair and a library staff member, said that the association organized the rally because it felt UMass representatives “weaponized labor law” against workers on campus. She said the union tried to avoid mediation, which she said almost always benefits managers and not the workers, but UMass brought in a third party to mediate.

“We are trying to show that we are unified, that the workers are unified, and that we won’t take it laying down,” she said. “That if UMass wants to abuse labor law, exploit their workers … we’re not going to let them do that quietly.”

Godbout-Chooinard added that the union is pushing management to agree to the final package that they put forward in bargaining and to remove a proposal on timekeeping, which she called an “underhanded tactic.” She said that the union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against university management for that.

A university spokesperson said Wednesday that the university “will continue to bargain in good faith in accordance with state and federal law, as it has since the beginning of this process.”

Making their case

Rallygoers streamed in under the shade of trees near the north side of the Whitmore building around noon, sporting shirts from several UMass unions, including the Professional Staff Union (PSU), Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Graduate Employee Organization (GEO-UAW) and representatives from the UMass labor center. Members of other Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)-affiliated unions hailing from Easthampton, Springfield, Cambridge and Holyoke were also in attendance.

Waving signs that read “UMass works because we do” and “Keep your word,” attendees quieted down as the event began with a speech from Godbout-Chooinard.

Addressing the crowd, she said, “Through their actions, management is telling us that it’s OK that the staff that make UMass run continue to make below a living wage, to continue to be overworked and understaffed, to continue having to choose groceries over going to the dentist,” said Godbout-Chooinard. “That is business as usual for UMass.”

The crowd booed after each grievance was stated, and Godbout-Chooinard led a series of call-and-response chants. She then announced that they were going to walk up the ramp to Whitmore to the third floor, where the chancellor’s office is located, and line the hallways.

Once on the third floor, several speakers from the various unions gave speeches.

Camila Hwang-Carlos, a clerk at USA and academic administrative assistant at the university’s Honors College, shared her personal experience, saying that she loved her job, her coworkers and her students, but was all too aware of the rising cost of living and stagnant wages.

“As a disabled person, I am unable to work a second job, and I am going into debt to pay my medical bills, get my car fixed and take care of my dogs, but I also should not need to work a second job,” she said. “They say we’re too expensive. Why don’t they try living in our shoes for a month? Make the choice between food and gas, and then try to tell me how expensive I am.”

Union leaders said they held the rally in response to the university’s decision to hold up “badly needed cost-of-living adjustments for staff.” It also stated that surveys it conducted showed that about a third of university staff can’t survive without a second job, and 44% of surveyed USA staff struggle to pay for food despite working full time as state employees.

Grievances of low wages, lack of communication and more were repeated as speaker after speaker took the megaphone. They said that UMass workers are crucial to the campus’s well-being in order for students to register for classes, fix technology, keep records and maintain communication. Many of the chants criticized UMass administration, called for respect and good faith bargaining, fair pay and a fair contract. They also highlighted the salaries of top administrators, comparing them to the low wages earned by union workers.

“Without us, there is no UMass,” Hwang-Carlos said.

Andrea Lydick, the special projects coordinator for USA and office manager at the SBS Pathways Center, as well as a USA steward, spoke more about the union’s grievance regarding the university management. Lydick said that the union had negotiated for months and management projected a nearly finished agreement, before adding a clause last-minute.

She expressed discontentment around the university’s lack of respect and accountability.

“Talk to your coworkers, tell your story, and remind each other that we are not alone. We are fighting for dignity. We’re fighting for each other, and we’re going to win this together,” Lydick said before leading the crowd in chanting, “No contract, no peace!”