Union protest at UW Tacoma echoes the voices of Americans enduring inflation

UW employees representing themselves through SEIU Local 925 union show how the Institution is doing a disservice to its workers under a troubled economy. 

On Sept. 10 during UWT’s New Student Orientation, a peaceful protest organized by SEIU Local 925 that represents over 7,000 UW employees between the three campuses took hold as students and spectators passed by, listening to UW employees chanting about unfair contracts. 

 “What we’re hoping for is not just a living wage, but a savings wage. Many of our members are not in a position to be able to save,” SEIU Local 925 Union Organizer Erika Currier said. 

As I walked up to the protesters, phone camera in hand, listening to their expression of the First Amendment and their grievances with the economy and the Institution, I noticed a few people turn away and try to hide their faces, visibly becoming nervous at the presence of a camera. 

When it was over, I turned off my camera and walked over to find a few people to interview. Most of the crowd dispersed quickly, and I couldn’t help but suspect it was because people now are afraid to speak up for themselves or to the press. They are caught in a cultural silence, in fear of saying the wrong thing, offending those in positions of authority and potentially losing their job.  It’s something not openly talked about, a complex and unspoken fear found in most workplaces throughout the country. Shown by the protestors hiding their faces behind signs, even in a public space where open-mindedness is promoted by the Institution. 

“One percent, don’t pay the rent! UW, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side.” 

It’s a truly complicated problem within Institutions, where university and college employees who participate in unions are stuck in this state of limbo. They often put their all into the Institutions they work for and advocate for their voices to be heard through the support of a union, hoping to bring with them the essence of change, only to receive unfair wages that cannot keep up with the current cost of living nor allow them to live sustainably.   

In bargaining with the union, the University of Washington has offered a 1% raise for all of the workers each year, which workers argue isn’t enough to pay rent, sustain themselves or their families, or be able to save money and thrive, according to Currier. 

“Before we were promised a 4% raise, and then we were told that we’d be going to 1% next year,” Utility Worker Ronald Augustave said. 

It was Augustave’s first time protesting with the union, after having worked at UW Tacoma for two years. He came out to show his support for his fellow employees and the community, expressing his enjoyment of the work environment, a testimony to the character of those who keep our school running.  

“The UW has the same information that we do when it comes to cost of living and how expensive it is to not just live in these cities but also the state as a whole, and 1%, what I hear from members is just how disrespectful that is for the work these folks do,” Currier said.  

In Washington, the cost of living is 17% higher than the national average, while healthcare services such as doctor visits and dentistry costs 19% more, goods and services sit at 13% more, according to RentCafe. It’s no wonder that employees need this change to survive and thrive, considering the fact they have been struggling to stay afloat on a sinking ship for years. 

With UWT being largely a commuter campus, it’s highly likely that employees come from cities and towns all around, as rent and housing prices vary widely depending on the location and local economy. Like many students who commute 45-minutes to an hour to attend classes, driving puts wear and tear on their vehicles, and when coupled with high prices at the pump, their pockets are undoubtedly suffering.  

In addition, high levels of traffic often cause commuters to waste more gas and time, time which could be spent working. The lack of affordable food and parking options on and around campus contributes to the costs coming out of UWT employees’ wallets. 

Seattle, Everett, Bellingham, Kent, and Tacoma remain the highest scores on the graph, showing that the cost of living in Tacoma is 26% higher than the national average, while Seattle stands at 45%, according to RentCafe. 

For many Americans, it’s not just the price of rent and the overall cost of living they care about—it’s also the availability of housing, the safety of the location, community features and level of affordability—many factors go into deciding whether to live in one place and commute to another. 

This dichotomy of putting a smile on your face to meet people, educate, or tend to the campus facilities while still trying to enjoy the community, work and make ends meet in a self-destructing economy, has likely been written across their lips for many months, or years. Words that need to be heard and considered, in accordance with the appropriate changes made by the Institution, however subjective that outcome may be perceived amongst SEIU union leaders and members and their families, all of those affected by this upcoming contract agreement. 

“I was just speaking with someone yesterday that’s been working for UW Medicine for 25 years, and in her entire experience working, it’s been living paycheck to paycheck,” Currier said. 

I’ve come to know many people through the interactions I’ve had in the last 3 and a half years of attending this University and its major events, from staff and faculty members in various buildings and departments to other members of the UWT community. I often see folks around campus expressing their love and interest in the school and its students.  

I recognize the important roles they fill as dedicated members of the community on various committees and community organizations—organizations which wouldn’t exist without their ability to network and communicate. Arguably, students and faculty recognize the sacrifices and struggles of employees, when the University fails to properly acknowledge their efforts. 

“A lot of these folks are incredibly loyal to the University and very loyal and care so deeply about their jobs and serving their communities, whether that’s here on the Tacoma campus serving the community and students, all the way to serving patients and their families in the hospital and clinic settings,” Currier said. 

It would be incorrect to assume that both local and national politics and economic policies don’t play a large role in the conversation of wages and benefits provided by an employer. Inflation impacts an employer’s ability to offer salary increases due to increased operation costs, and if less students are choosing to attend the university as enrollment numbers show in prior years, that adds yet another level of nuance to the problem. The data shows that before the pandemic, UWT’s enrollments were beginning to rise, catching up to Bothel’s enrollment levels, but after the school year of 2021-2022, enrollments began to drop, returning to levels seen during 2015-2018, according to FTE Enrollment Trends. 

If one were to call upon reforms to UW’s Operating Budget or the budgets and expenses of individual campuses as a potential solution, identifying areas where change could be implemented would still need to occur with risk management brought into consideration by the UW Administration. The 2023 Financial Highlights state that the University operating revenues increased by $252 million, while the operating expenses increased by $988 million, proving the University’s inability to keep up with the current rate of inflation. 

This speaks to some of the qualms people have with a capitalist society, namely the missing rungs and obstacles preventing folks to climb ladders, though the ability to debate and negotiate ideas about economic opportunity with an employer is a very democratic thing. It’s something which we as a Democratic people must not lose sight of—our voice and our ability to stand up for the ideas behind our independent research. The ideas and opinions of our own making. 

The contract details issues of employee rights, wages, benefits, remote work and accountability for the employer, among other important topics. The new contract will go into effect July 1 of 2025 once an agreement has been reached. 

You can express your support for UW employees who have unionized by emailing the UW President, Ana Mari Cauce at pres@uw.edu about supporting fair employment contracts and meeting the needs of UW employees.