[Climate Justice] [HAN] Asking J Lash to Declare Union Neutrality in Hampshire College

[Kim Selznick]

On Nov 7, 2013, at 11:45 PM, Ej Nussbaum <emailofej at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello!
> 
> We are working on a project to make Hampshire college an officially union neutral space, so workers can collectively organize if they so choose.  It's a small step, but we want to continue the precedent set by Marlene Gerber Fried, the last Interim President, who signed the March 2011 statement.
> This declaration of neutrality is part of a campaign in the Amherst Area to make the Amherst Area a neutral space for collective organizing, and to disallow an employer's ability to impede union drives, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
> 
> We are asking you to lend your organization's support to this letter below by allowing us to type your name below the Preamble (November 2013).  Please contact us if you have feedback or questions.
> We we'll be bringing this to J Lash by 18 November so we hope to have your signatures by 16 November.
> 
> November 2013
> In light of Northampton's recent passage of labor-neutrality legislation, declaring that it will not participate in or condone any anti-union or organizing activity, we feel that it is time to turn a critical gaze to Hampshire's own labor policies. Currently, Hampshire has no such declaration of neutrality, making already vulnerable workers more susceptible to anti-union activity. This is not without precedent: Our fellow consortium members Smith and Mount Holyoke have already instituted similar declarations. Interim President Marlene Gerber Fried, on March 2 of 2011 officially introduced such a policy of neutrality, noting that "I cannot speak for, nor commit, any future administrations, during my tenure as president of Hampshire, to ensure that the above statement is implemented." Given this, we feel that now is the time for President Lash to endorse this policy, as part of a new focus on turning Hampshire into an actively anti-oppressive institution.
> This is a preamble written by a HAN member for the letter.  This is the document we're asking people to lend their names to, and what we're giving to Jlash on the 18 November to sign.
> Below is what the previous interim president signed, so we think there shouldn't be too much trouble getting Jlash on board.  This was written by the Students for the Freedom to Unionize a few years ago.  We've kept it exactly the same.  The only change we'd make is replacing "Students for Freedom to Unionize" with the names of whichever groups and Professors lend their names to the letter.
> March 2011
> In response to concerns brought to me by the Students for the Freedom to Unionize and other constituencies on campus, I am issuing the following statement, which has also been
> endorsed by a unanimous vote of the Monday Group (senior administrators and academic deans), on the rights of employees of Hampshire College to unionize:
> Hampshire College recognizes that the right to organize is legally protected and the College is bound to adhere fully to the provisions of labor law. Further, the College is committed to ensuring that the climate at the College enables its employees to engage in open discussion,
> debate, and education about unionization.
> Although I cannot speak for, nor commit, any future administrations, during my tenure as president of Hampshire, to ensure that the above statement is implemented, I pledge to
> adhere to the following specific points:
> - Neither the employment nor the advancement of any Hampshire staff member will be compromised because they have engaged in discussion or other activities about union organizing.
> - No officers or employees of the College will use threats of job losses to discourage or encourage unionization.
> - Hampshire College will not itself engage in practices which impede staff organizing, nor will it hire outside entities whose purpose is to impede staff organizing.
> - Channels of campus communication that are regularly open to staff, faculty, and students shall remain available to all employees to express their views about
> unionization.
> 
> Love,
> Emily Joyce, Mary Kate, Ian Schlom, and the rest of HAN 

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