HANOVER — Dartmouth College officials are refusing to voluntarily recognize an effort to unionize by students who work in the college’s dining halls and snack stands.
The college, however, told students last Friday that it would work with them to arrange an election moderated by the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB.
“While we are disappointed the college did not go ahead and recognize us, this wasn’t the worst-case scenario,” said Alejandro Morales, a second-year student and dining manager who is among the leaders of the unionizing effort. “At least for us, it is nice to see that they are taking on a sort of collaborative approach even if they didn’t voluntarily recognize.”
Around 125 to 150 students work for Dartmouth Dining Services at various times of the year, the college has indicated.
In an email, Dartmouth spokeswoman Diane Lawrence told the Valley News on Monday that after “research and consultation,” the college had determined that a vote by student dining workers was needed to settle the issue.
“Such a momentous decision — one that would affect students and Dartmouth for years to come — should be made by student workers in an election that allows all eligible students to express their will through the ballot as part of the well-established NLRB process,” Lawrence wrote. “This process ensures a full airing of points of view on unionization, which we believe students deserve.”
A group called the Student Worker Collective at Dartmouth went public in early January with its intent to form a union, partly in response to the increased stress of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But talk of students unionizing dates back to last fall, when they took their COVID-19 safety concerns to non-student dining managers. The meetings led to the college giving student workers raises of $1 to $2 an hour, which brought their hourly rate to roughly $15. (Students’ pay differs, depending at which of Dartmouth’s 11 dining locations they work.)
After the unionizing effort was announced last month, Dartmouth began paying students 1½ times their regular rate of pay for working during the pandemic.
Last week, the college also agreed to give students paid time off if they contract COVID-19.
The move “just goes to show how much power our union is having, how much it has been able to positively affect student life without the official recognition,” Morales said.
College officials and students plan to meet in upcoming weeks to set election dates, Morales said. He’s hoping the election is held sooner rather than later.
“We’d like it to be taken care of this semester just because of how student enrollment patterns change,” Morales said. “We just want to make sure that everyone who wants the union right now is there, but we’ll see.”
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
