BY Kiera McLaughlin ’26

Global Editor

Students and professors joined staff from Dining Services and Residential Life outside the main campus gate of Mount Holyoke College on Thursday, April 24, in support of the Service Employees International Union — also known as SEIU — 32BJ labor union and the group’s current contract negotiations with the College’s administration.

According to Bill Sims, the 32BJ field representative for Dining Services and Facilities Management, the main goal this time around is to provide campus workers with a livable wage for the Hampshire County region. He said, as of now, the average wage is $4 under that standard.

The SEIU 32BJ labor union is a national organization that represents essential workers and has more than 185,000 members. On campus, they represent dining workers, custodians, groundskeepers and tradespeople.

“We don’t think people should have to wrap up their main job, get dressed for a second job so they can afford to pay for the health insurance from the first job,” Sims said.

Richard Sugrue, who has worked in Mount Holyoke Dining Services for almost eight years, explained that the union is also asking the College for a legal services fund for representation in family, real estate and immigration law. Currently, the College only provides consultation services.

According to Sugrue, the union is also asking for supplemental retirement, which would require the College to maintain a standard retirement plan, instead of the current retirement program that is based on market forces, which can drop the payments.

Every three years, when their contract times out, the workers have to go back to the negotiation table with the College. Last time around, Sugrue claims, the College pushed discussions until after the majority of students were off campus.

“[The College] tend[s] to … drag their feet until you guys all go home,” Sims shared in a speech to the crowd.

“They want us to come to work and not be seen or heard. They want us to just keep the lights on, keep the trash cans empty, keep the bellies full. And we love doing it, but we got to be compensated for it.”

This time, Sims and the lawyer for the union started negotiations earlier to ensure student participation. As of the event, the union has had three negotiations with the College.

The UAW Local 2322 union representing the housekeepers on campus was also at the event showing solidarity. They started negotiations the next day, April 25.

Jeff Douglas, a cook in the Dining Commons, said he was there to “support what the union is trying to do for us as employees. Last negotiations, they did a good job. I’d like to see that continue.”

He shared that he is planning to retire in a year and a half, and has accumulated almost 800 hours of unused sick pay. Working 40 hours a week and showing up consistently, he believes that he should be compensated for that time instead of losing it when he retires. “By [my] being a good employee, the College is benefiting,” he explained.

A key part of the rally was the involvement of students and professors.

“It’s been really gratifying, seeing the student turnout,” Sugrue said. “We are very happy to do everything that we do for the students specifically. We have great relationships with all the students. They’re all wonderful. And so to see them showing up here to support us, that’s the whole game right there.”

Students in the audience were actively listening and talking to the campus workers about their experiences. After hearing stories from the union participants, Karis Knoll ’25 said, “It’s just really frustrating because it’s like these are the people that are frontline people, that care about us and we care about them, and to feel like the institution is not reciprocating that is just really disappointing, especially as a senior.”

They continued, “I want to invest in the institution. I want to care about it, but I want to make sure that as an alum when I’m investing in the institution, they’re investing in the parts that I care about.”

Vic Klapa ’26, who started the Instagram account Students for Staff Collective Bargaining — @mhcsscb on Instagram — in support of the union and to promote the rally, shared a similar sentiment. “I just really wanted to create a space where students could also advocate for pro-union causes, especially like here where we’re, you know, constantly interacting with staff,” they said.

They called for other students to get involved and show their support. “I think now more than ever is the time to get involved … after the election, there was just a lot of like well, what do we do now? And I know a lot of that seems incredibly daunting, but like now is the best time. Like now more than ever, get involved with your communities, talk to people who, you know, work in your ecosystem.”

In an email to Mount Holyoke News, a representative of the College stated, "Mount Holyoke College is actively engaged in contract negotiations and cannot speak to specifics at this time. However, MHC leadership is confident that the administration and union bargaining teams will be able to work together in good faith to reach a just and sustainable result for all College employees."

The next rally will take place on May 13 and will follow two more negotiation sessions between the union and the College. There will be an update at that rally for the community.

Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.