BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Student employees of Western Washington University continue the drive to unionize.

1,500 Operational Student Employees have announced their intent to unionize.

They will join the 1,100 educational student workers who filed to form the Union of Student Employees at Western last December.

Operational Student Employees, or OSEs, include Program Support Staff, Laborers, Lifeguards, Resident Advisors and many other student worker roles.

They cite ongoing struggles around low and late pay, unsafe work environments and unpredictable schedules as reasons to unionize.

Both student employee groups hope to hold an election in May to certify the union and allow them to start bargaining with Western’s administration.

If successful, they would be the first unionized OSEs in Washington state.