The Washington University Student Worker Alliance (SWA) formed last fall after 36 Nicaraguan service employees were terminated with no explanation, six months prior to their contract expiration date. Then, due to the Bush administration’s racist regulations surrounding the H2B work visa, they were forced to leave the country. Disgusted by the treatment of these and other service employees, SWA began a campus and community-wide campaign to fight for workers’ rights and a living wage.
For the past five months SWA has been communicating with campus administrators and employee subcontracting companies in an attempt to improve working conditions at the university.
Service employees are happy to see students standing up for workers, and we’ve refused to let their voices go unheard. Together, students, workers, community members, faculty and staff came together and mobilized a series of actions during the Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) Week of Action during March 29th to April 4th.
Ojiugo Uzoma, an SWA steering committee member and a junior at Washington University, said “Our main goal right now is getting the name SWA out there. We want to let the workers know that we are here for them, that they can count on us.�
SWA wants to bridge the gap between the campus and the community. In many ways, campus workers’ issues are community issues. “The most significant part of the week was the tremendous amount of support we received from the community. By working together we showed the administration that this is a city-wide effort,� said Jocelyn Clogston, a senior at Washington University, an SWA member and an intern at Jobs with Justice (JWJ).
The first event during the week of action was a forum called ‘Nickel and Dimed: Trying to make it in St. Louis,’ which focused on educating students about fair wages, worker’s rights, and corporate greed in St. Louis.
Jay Swoboda, an alumni of Washington University and founder of What’s Up?, a local magazine focused on homelessness and poverty, said, “bringing the personal lives of working class St. Louisians into focus for both students and the university community is important. Moving towards a better understanding of workers’ rights must involve the whole community.�
The second forum, ‘What is a Living Wage,� discussed the success of living wage campaigns across the nation. This forum was very important because many students are confused by what it means to have a campus living wage. Some think their tuition will be raised or money will be taken from scholarships. The forum helped everyone see that a living wage can benefit the entire community. At the forum Ken McCoy, St. Louis area ACORN director, presented information about the positive historical, political, and economic implications of a living wage.
To culminate the week, 250 students, campus employees, union members, Jobs with Justice activists and community and religious leaders rallied for a living wage and workers’ rights at Washington University. University administrators were invited to speak, but refused. Nick Fichtenbaum, a Washington University student, said in response, “The members of this community deserve the respect of being told to their faces why they aren’t seen as a priority. Are you going to pay them living wages or are you going to hide behind subcontractors?� he asked. The presence of service workers at the rally was a very powerful component in creating unity between students, workers, and the community. “The powers-that-be want to use divide-and-conquer. But if we stand as a united front there is no stopping us. We can turn the tide on issues like living wages. Youth and labor united make a powerful movement,� said, Ana Rizo, a national coordinator for SLAP.
Currently, SWA is working with the Chancellor’s Task Force to implement a new code of conduct for hiring practices by the university. The code of conduct includes a living wage clause, a non-discrimination policy, and a review board of students, administrators, and faculty. It would also force subcontractors to provide benefits comparable to those received by workers directly employed at the University.
While we continue to pressure Washington University, other campuses and communities are facing similar struggles. The Student Worker Alliance knows this is only the beginning of a campus, city, and national movement to better the lives of workers. In light of the Bush administration’s attack on working families and immigrant workers, it is essential to be unified around issues of workers’ rights. We will not allow workplace injustice any more at our University or in our community.
Students must open our eyes and realize our power. It will take sacrifice, dedication, and some frustrations, but movements like this can make a difference. Together, we can make workers’ rights a priority.
Katie Castellano, a recent graduate of Washington University, is a student activist in issues of race and class. She has been involved in several cultural groups, the Student Worker Alliance, and studied Anthropology and Spanish. Next year she is teaching at a bilingual elementary school in New York City.
To find out more or endorse this campaign, please visit our website, www.artsci.wustl.edu/~tjzander
or email swa_wu@yahoo.com.
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