<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Qg2dO_1GnX7LL500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Qg2dO_1GnX7LL500" width="1000" height="937" ><figcaption>Photo by Susanna Schatz | The Middlebury Campus</figcaption></figure>Middlebury staff organizers, in affiliation with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Vermont, have officially launched a campaign to form a staff union. Organizers are now collecting authorization cards — signed forms from workers stating they want the union to represent them — after a majority of eligible staff approved their mission statement. If the effort succeeds the union, with a bargaining unit of over 500 staff, would be unprecedented and by far the largest staff union in any of the NESCACs.The Editorial Board strongly supports these efforts to form a staff union on campus. We intend to show our solidarity with the staff members who work extended hours and deal with increased workloads to make this institution function on a daily basis. There is no Middlebury College without our staff. In this editorial, we hope to bring attention to the integral position staff have in the Middlebury community, which too often goes underappreciated. The often invisible work that makes our education possible is the work of our staff. Meals, clean living spaces, internet access and all the other services that staff provide are essential to not just students but also faculty, administrators and the wider community on-campus and beyond.From our own conversations with staff on campus, we have learned that, broadly, staff are struggling with heavy workloads, long hours and insufficient compensation. A survey conducted by the Middlebury Staff Council in 2024 supports these claims, revealing that “compensation, workload and the cost of living in Vermont and Monterey remain top concerns for college employees.” In addition, the introduction of the “skill matrix” system in 2022, a tiered compensation scale for staff based on the development of additional “skills,” does not adequately incentivise staff to stay at Middlebury since staff reach a pay ceiling after a certain period, if they even reach it at all. Sometimes staff members who have been at the college for decades can end up earning an hourly wage within a few dollars of a new employee. Although base pay for staff has increased in recent years, these adjustments are not enough to match the cost of living in Vermont, pushing the majority of Middlebury staff to live outside of Addison County or Vermont altogether. Still, since the college is the primary employer and has immense economic power in Addison County, finding a better job elsewhere is no easy task. Most importantly, a staff union would give these employees legal power in decision with Middlebury’s administration. In light of recent unilateral decisions by administration, such as the reduction of retirement benefits for long term employees, the voluntary retirement buyout that left departments strained and the most recent — and concerning — elimination of positions in DLINQ without consultation with relevant parties, the board finds the case for a staff union more urgent than ever. While the board acknowledges that decisions are not easily made and pressures, financial and otherwise, facing colleges are evermore real, a union does not demand the college to neglect these burdens; it only asks administration to have staff at the table and enter into dialogue on how these burdens are shared.Many other professional workers such as nurses, teachers and skilled laborers have unions, so we see no reason why Middlebury staff should not. The board finds that the organizers’ priorities of livable wages, benefits protection and transparency on decisions that affect staff are reasonable to demand of an employer. A union would force the college to reconsider how it rewards long-term employees, how it compensates people with regard to the cost of living and the extra work it demands from staff without offering meaningful benefits in return. President Ian Baucom’s recent strategic plan intends to “rearticulate our mission, purpose, and aspirations for the next decade.” Our college’s aspirations for a better Middlebury must be founded on sustainable, humane and dignified staff working conditions. While words of affirmation are nice to hear, pay is the most tangible way to communicate that a staff member’s work matters. We recognize that not all staff are intently engaged with the prospect of unionization. Some say they don’t feel their jobs warrant better pay since they are not doing what they consider “skilled work.”Others are afraid to “bite the hand that feeds them”; to engage with union organizers out of fear of disrupting the status quo or provoking retaliation that could make their jobs harder. Yet, no matter where staff members stand on the issue, we hope that the union organizers and the administration will promote an environment where people aren’t afraid to voice their opinions and have their concerns addressed. Unions require members to pay dues as well, which may seem like a heavy cost in the short term for a staff member who is already stretched thin. However, a union would guarantee better leverage for staff in administrative conversations to argue for policies that would benefit them. Wage increases brought about by a union could, and often do, offset the cost of paying union dues. Finally, a strong staff union could create a sense of community and solidarity across departments, empowering those who feel their jobs are unimportant by elevating their voices. If the college does not voluntarily recognize the union, staff will vote in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, and a union will form if a majority of voters are in support of it. To recognize the value of our staff, the board calls on the college to voluntarily recognize the union once organizers present their authorization cards, negotiate in good faith and not force already overburdened employees to work harder just to have their interests recognized. A staff union would give employees legal bargaining power and a more equitable role in decisions that affect their daily lives. Organizers have been working in good faith, citing hope for a better future as opposed to grievances with the current system of representation on campus. We strongly encourage the college to recognize these efforts and the importance and dignity of our staff by supporting the union.President Baucom has made freedom a defining commitment of his presidency, declaring that Middlebury is “for the academic freedom of everyone.” We ask him to extend this conviction to the freedom of staff to collectively organize. This college that purports itself to champion free inquiry in the classroom should not force the people whose toil and labor sustains those classrooms to fight for a voice of their own. </div></body>

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Middlebury staff organizers, in affiliation with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Vermont, have officially launched a campaign to form a staff union. Organizers are now collecting authorization cards — signed forms from workers stating they want the union to represent them — after a majority of eligible staff approved their mission statement. If the effort succeeds the union, with a bargaining unit of over 500 staff, would be unprecedented and by far the largest staff union in any of the NESCACs.

A staff union promises a better Middlebury

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Middlebury staff organizers, in affiliation with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Vermont, have officially launched a campaign to form a staff uni

A staff union promises a better Middlebury

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