Strike: Faculty and Staff General FAQs

We understand and respect your right to engage in a lawful strike and withhold your labor.  The College steadfastly prohibits any retaliation for engaging in protected strike activities. However, we want to be clear that any obligations you have concerning your academic pursuit and your degree, must be fulfilled and you are not relieved of any such requirements of your academic program.

Unionized staff members will need to consult with their union to see if there is a "no strike" clause in their labor contract that prohibits "sympathy strikes." Also, the graduate students may not permit them to join a strike. Faculty also are not permitted to engage in sympathy strikes, and do not have the same protections as graduate student employees who strike, due to their positions within the University's governance structure. Some non-union staff members are legally permitted to engage in a sympathy strike. If they do so, they will not be paid and, depending on the length of the strike, their health insurance and other benefits could be impacted

GOLD-UE members have already approached faculty members asking them to signal their support for graduate students. 

Dartmouth faculty are prohibited from coercing or restraining students as to their participation in union activities. We caution that signing a letter of support could create the impression that students who do not support the union will suffer adverse consequences from the faculty member who signs.

Department and program chairs should be especially mindful that they are representatives of the management of the university who, under the law, are prohibited from negotiating directly with students or their representatives on union issues. To avoid creating an impression that this has taken place, we request that you do not sign whatever you are being requested to sign. You are also encouraged to bring any concerns raised by the students to your dean, who will bring them to Dartmouth's bargaining team.

GOLD-UE members have already approached staff members asking them to signal their support for graduate students.

Dartmouth staff are prohibited from coercing or restraining students as to their participation in union activities. We caution that signaling support could create the impression that students who do not support the union will suffer adverse consequences from the staff member who signs.

Supervisors of graduate students should be especially mindful that they are representatives of the management of the university who, under the law, are prohibited from negotiating directly with students or their representatives on union issues. To avoid creating an impression that this has taken place, we request that you do not sign whatever you are being requested to sign. You are also encouraged to bring any concerns raised by the students to your supervisor or dean, who will bring them to Dartmouth's bargaining team.

You can express an opinion if asked, but as a supervisor, you are not permitted to coerce or pressure a graduate student. This includes the following:

• Promises intended to induce someone not to strike.
• Statements that could be perceived as a threat.
• Comments that could be construed as suggesting that they may be retaliated against in some way in the future (such as a loss of support or funding, or that their ability to receive an employment reference could be compromised).

Also, you should not indicate that you support—or do not support—the requests the union is making at the bargaining table. Here, again, it is best to express no opinion

You can relate any/all of the following:

• It is Dartmouth's  hope that an agreement can be reached without a strike.
• The University will continue to bargain in good faith.
• The decision about whether to participate in the strike is a personal one.
• You hope that they will continue to engage academically.

You may also have conversations on continuity of research and teaching operations and expectations related to a student's academic progress. You can ask students to share protocols, access to course materials or documents, or anything you need to know to maintain continuity of operations. You can also communicate specific expectations around academic progress; this may be important in schools/colleges where teaching is an educational requirement and connected to for-credit coursework

Individuals who hold supervisory roles over graduate students, including faculty, should be cautioned not to generally question graduate students about their strike activities, such as asking them whether they are going to strike, who else is going to strike, how many graduate students are supporting the strike, what is the level of support for the strike, how long it will last.

However, and especially once a strike has commenced, faculty may ask graduate students whether they plan to continue to work. However, such questioning must be done in strict accordance with the National Labor Relations Act and the guidelines provided by the NLRB. Accordingly, a supervisor asking a graduate student whether they plan to continue to work must do the following:

1. Specifically tell the graduate student  that they are free to answer the question posed or not. The graduate student's response is strictly voluntary, and they must be told that by the supervisor.
    
2. Provide the graduate student with the purpose of the questioning. For example, "In order to plan for the teaching of the course to which you were assigned, and to make sure the class is covered for our students, I would like to know if you will be carrying out that assignment."
    
3. Specifically assure the graduate student  that no reprisals will be taken against them if they refuse to answer the question or if they participate in the strike.

In doing so, they should also be very careful not to otherwise question the graduate student about the strike itself or to otherwise expand the conversation beyond the particular question posed. They may also verify, either by checking themselves or by asking student workers, whether sections/planned reviews are being held or whether lab assignments have been addressed.

Union or non-union, every student member of the Dartmouth community is expected to conduct themselves according to the principles and policies laid out in Dartmouth's policies and Principles of Community. 

Dartmouth works hard to protect the rights and dignity of all students. All forms of harassment, discrimination and bullying are strictly prohibited by Dartmouth policies. 

The Dartmouth Ombuds provides a safe and confidential place where students can share Dartmouth-related issues. Several alternative channels including contacting Human Resources for workplace-related complaints.  When complaints are made to Dartmouth, they are promptly reviewed and investigated as appropriate. The Title IX Office investigates protected status complaints.

We understand and respect your right to engage in a lawful strike and withhold your labor.  The College steadfastly prohibits any retaliation for engaging in protected strike activities. However, we want to be clear that any obligations you have concerning your academic pursuit and your degree, must be fulfilled and you are not relieved of any such requirements of your academic program.