BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Student academic workers at Western Washington University headed to the picket line on the morning of Tuesday, May 21.

Western Academic Workers United (WAWU) says that over 1100 educational student employees walked off the job as of 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning. WAWU was formally recognized in June 2023, and they have been bargaining with the WWU administration since September 2023.

The group says that the decision to strike was made after little progress was made during recent bargaining sessions, including an all-day session on Monday that school officials walked out of. Union members wrote an open letter to the WWU community, stating that they have asked the college for competitive wages, partial relief from tuition and fees, bereavement leave and stronger protections against discrimination and harassment. 93% of the union’s members voted to authorize the strike last week.

“WWU Administration has left us no choice but to strike. Educational Student Employees at Western are sick of relying on food banks, having to work multiple jobs, and feeling the constant stress of rent. It’s time for a fair contract, with fair pay and decent working conditions which allow us to focus on our work, stay in our teaching and research roles which Western depends on, and ensure Western remains accessible to the people it serves,” said Gabe Wong, the undergraduate student senate president and a member of the Bargaining Committee.

The strike will take place at three different locations across the WWU campus, and the group has organized a gathering at Old Main at 1 p.m.

On Tuesday, May 21, WWU said in a statement that it will continue to meet with WAWU to reach a “swift and sustainable agreement.” The school is proposing a 9.5% increase to its minimum wage along with incremental increases over the next several years. According to WAWU, they are asking for “approximately a 30% raise for hourly workers and a 56% raise for stipend workers.” WWU also says that hourly academic employees have received pay raises of more than 60% over the last decade.

In the same statement, the college addressed that WWU Academic Affairs are ensuring that any students with classes possibly affected by the strike will still be able to receive grades and credits on time.

The WWU campus remains open, but travelers are advised by the college to expect possible traffic delays.

MyBellinghamNow will continue to update this story as the strike continues with more information from the college and WAWU.