The University of New Haven and Local 217 of UNITE HERE, announced an agreement for a new contract, which was ratified by the University’s 35 union facilities employees last week, ending a weeklong strike.
University officials and union representatives hailed the agreement as the “first collaborative effort together.” During the more than six months of negotiations, the team worked jointly to address employment-related terms for union staff, wages and benefits, as well as concerns around job security.
“This agreement recognizes the significant contributions of our facilities employees while reinforcing the importance of sound academic and fiscal stewardship in an ever-evolving higher education marketplace,” said President Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D. “We are keenly aware of the need for fairness and equity across each of our employee constituencies as we work to prepare the next generation of an elite workforce locally, regionally, and globally. The University remains deeply committed to a collaborative culture that empowers students to excel and contribute to a better future economically, socially, and culturally.”
The joint statement made last week, said the agreement shows a mutual respect each party had with those on the other side of the bargaining table.
“University and union leaders believe this contract captures the University’s commitment to the facilities employees and the many valuable contributions they make serving our students and our community,” the statement said.
“We believe that this new contract will provide stability, confidence and dignity for our members, their families, and the university community as the whole of the University of New Haven looks toward its next chapter,” said Josh Stanley, Local 217’s Secretary-Treasurer.
The strike was the result of a March vote to set up picket lines under the banner UNITE HERE Locals 217, 33, 34, and 35.
University officials, meanwhile, maintained the issue of job protection is, in fact, a non-issue, as past practices of the school have indicated. The university remains open and is continuing to provide services to its students.
State officials have shown support for the workers with an April 8 appearance and press conference by Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, State Sen. Martin Looney, State Rep. Bill Heffernan, other community and labor leaders and workers.
The workers voted to unionize with Local 217 UNITE HERE in July of 2023, and have been in negotiations for their first contract since the fall of 2023. On March 26, the facilities workers successfully passed a strike vote, with 94% of the bargaining unit voting to go on strike. Since then, the workers have engaged in protests and picketing at UNH.
Stanley at that point was less than happy with the university on the central issue of job security.
“We are shocked that the university is unwilling to commit to keeping these good jobs union,” said Josh Stanley, secretary-treasurer of Local 217 UNITE HERE. “If the university allows these jobs to be contracted out, these jobs won’t stay good jobs for long. While the university has grown hugely in the past ten years, the number of facilities jobs on campus has gone from 52 to 38, and the work is done by contractors that often pay poverty wages. This is unacceptable to the workers and worthy of moral outcry at an institution that claims it is for the public good. That is why these workers voted to strike by 94% – they are drawing a line to protect themselves and to preserve more good jobs for the community.”
Other UNITE HERE locals supported the UNH facilities workers in the job action.
“Job security is one of the most important things to achieve in any contract. There are many ways employers try to undermine it – the most common is the use of outsourcing to undermine the future growth of good jobs,” said Proto, at the time.
Local 217 UNITE HERE represents over 2,000 hospitality and dining workers across the state of Connecticut. The union represents workers at colleges and universities such as Wesleyan University and Connecticut College, at hotels such as the Hilton Stamford and the Hyatt Regency Greenwich, and at school cafeterias such as the New Haven Public Schools and the East Haven Public Schools.
The university responded to the job action, saying it had bargained in good faith with the union, and offered what it believes is a fair package. In an official communique, the university outlined its proposal.
“In addition to previous provisions including significant and highly competitive wage increases, substantially reduced medical contribution costs for employees, and job protection for the life of the contract for all facilities union employees who are employed as of the date the contract is ratified, the new contract proposal included a provision committing that the university would maintain the union facilities employees’ regularly scheduled hours (40 per week), absent extenuating circumstances,” the communique stated.
As far as the issue of job security, the university believed the union’s position is unfounded.
“Given the nature of the higher education industry, which is different than many others where the reduction of hours is rather common, the university has historically not taken this action, outside of the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic. While recognizing the concern, this has not been the reality at the university, nor have current bargaining unit employees been impacted in such a way,” the communique stated.
In making their issues known, the university maintained the union is misrepresenting what has taken place so far in negotiations.
“On April 5, the union again disseminated information that the university views as misleading and inaccurate, circulating flyers on campus that said, ‘What good is protection from a layoff if your hours aren’t guaranteed and you go from 40 hours to 10?’ Last month, after receiving a comprehensive proposal including job protection for the life of the contract for all facilities union employees who are employed as of the date the contract is ratified, the union circulated flyers on campus regarding their plans to strike if the university does not offer facilities employees ‘real’ job security,” the communique stated.
University officials believe the union is now seeking guarantees that are over and above what has been discussed.
“Now Local 217 is now seeking a guarantee about the minimum number of positions in facilities, above and beyond the proposals the university has already made to protect the jobs of those currently employed. We believe that the significant wage increases and reduction in benefit costs, combined with the layoff protection and guarantee regarding hours, is a robust and competitive package for our valued facilities employees,” the communique stated.
Both the union and university expressed the hope further negotiations would hammer out an agreement, which came about last week.