Legislation expanding collective bargaining rights for student employees at Western Washington University has cleared the Legislature and is on its way to becoming law.
HB 1570 grants certain student employees at Western the right to form a union and collectively bargain with the university. The bill specifically allows student operational employees (OSEs) to organize and negotiate over wages and working conditions.
Graduate teaching assistants and other academic student employees recently were given the right to unionize and have already been bargaining at Western and other public four-year universities. However, operational student employees — who often work in campus support roles — have not previously had the same path to union representation.
The new law builds on organizing efforts by the Western Academic Workers Union (WAWU), which is affiliated with the United Auto Workers. WAWU previously reached an agreement with the university recognizing educational student employees (ESEs) as a union. Operational student employees have also organized but have not yet been formally recognized as a union.
Earlier versions of HB 1570 would have extended similar collective bargaining rights to student employees at several other regional universities, including Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, and The Evergreen State College. The bill was later amended in the Legislature to apply only to operational student employees at Western.
Under the law, compensation provisions negotiated in collective bargaining agreements may not exceed the funding level established by the Legislature. However, the university retains the authority to provide additional compensation beyond the level specifically funded by the state.
HB 1570 marks an important step in expanding workplace rights for student employees and reflects growing organizing efforts among campus workers across Washington’s public universities.