The Student Workers’ Collective (SWCD) is the undergraduate union of Dartmouth College representing dining workers and residential advisors (UGAs). After going on strike, the SWCD finished its second mediation session on Friday, June 27th. Despite countless good faith efforts on the SWCD’s part to compromise, the College continued to push their “last and best final offer,” which 88% of the unit rejected on May 13th. The College has barely moved an inch during mediation. Not only has the College insisted the SWCD abandon their top priorities that unit members repeatedly expressed and voted for, they also demanded protections from the SWCD’s prior contract be rolled back.

Mediation and bargaining have also blatantly shown the dishonesty in Dartmouth's communications. While current Dartmouth policy, which was won through protests this past May, restricts ICE access on College property without a judicial warrant, Dartmouth has repeatedly refused to include their own ICE policy in the SWCD’s contract. Including this language would prevent the College from unilaterally changing protocol and allowing ICE agents onto campus without a warrant. This demonstrates that the College is more than happy to keep non-citizen students as a bargaining chip if Dartmouth is targeted by the Trump administration.

As for UGAs, they have not received a stipend increase since at least 2017 despite cost-of-attendance increasing by 27% and campus minimum wage increasing by 41% in 2023. This pay increase would be a drop in the bucket for Dartmouth but would mean the world to student workers.

President Sian Beilock’s and the Board of Trustee’s approach to student workers, particularly non-citizen and low-income students, is absolutely unacceptable. Demand that Dartmouth give the bare minimum to student workers. Sign this petition now and circulate it!