On April 19th, 2024 the House Chair Union (HCU) sent a letter to the Bennington College administration declaring that during their negotiations it had come to a tentative agreement on all terms except for compensation, and that as a result; the house chairs will not be striking.
Negotiations between the House Chair Union and a team from Bennington College administration comprised of Donnie Redd, Director of Residence Life, John Link, Associate Director of Career Development from the Field Work Term office, Tabitha Cross from HR, and Robert Manfredo, a lawyer for the school began on November 7th, 2023. Since then, regular meetings have occurred among the house chair union members, led by union president Nat Frederickson, VP Ryan Fahey, secretary Ade Byron, as well as negotiation reps in an effort to come to an agreement with the administration.
HCU began in Spring 2024 when the house chair body voted to form a union, citing unfair wages, and the need for better mental health support, as well as clearer outlining of what the job entails. While a tentative agreement has been reached in support of most demands, including the installment of an Emergency Response Protocol which would be a written document outlining the steps to follow in a crisis, there has been no movement in regards to monetary compensation.
In the recent statement put out by the HCU, the wellbeing of residents is cited as the primary reason for the decision not to strike, however the statement goes on to emphasize that the HCU still does not believe that administration understands the work and dedication that goes into being a house chair because it does not reflect so in their wages.
HCU is seeking $6460 to cover the cost of room and board plus the wages earned from labor. As of right now, new house chairs make $1,900 and returning house chairs make $2000. “We’re not residential assistants,” Secretary Ade Byron admits. “But we take on more emotional labor than a residential assistant. You have to live in the house in order to be the house chair, and you’re expected to pay for the house, and run the house, so only making $2000– you’re losing money to be a house chair.”
In addition to comments Byron made about the emotional toll the job carries, one of the negotiation members added, “The work that we’re doing is not minimum wage work. No other job that is causing vicarious trauma is making minimum wage.” House chairs are also not contracted workers, or hourly workers which means their labor falls in a sort of valley akin to on-call workers. To this point, Byron explains, “You are always a house chair. You can’t separate yourself from the job in that sense. We’re going to leave class to help residents.”
The tentative agreement that has been reached is set to address the HCU’s other demands while they continue the fight for compensation. “We came together as 38 house chairs,” a non-negotiation member adds, “We want to make it known exactly what we are doing for the community, and the importance of building a community, and we want that to be shown through our compensation.”
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