Announcement of K-SWOC/UE Filing Unfair Labor Practice Charges

Dear President Decatur, members of Senior Staff, and members of the Board of Trustees,

As of 7:09 PM ET on Friday, April 30th, K-SWOC/UE has officially filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against the College for illegal behavior that violated the rights of student workers engaged in lawful picketing while on a strike for union recognition on Thursday, April 29. We have filed charges related to illegal surveillance of employees engaged in union activities, threats of retaliation against employees engaged in union activities, and questioning employees about their union activities. K-SWOC/UE filed the charges to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 08 in Cleveland, Ohio (inquiry number 1-2929203231).

Our decision to file ULP charges in response to this retaliatory behavior by the College and its agents is based on the fact that our concerted labor activity is ultimately accountable to federal law as enumerated in the National Labor Relations Act, not internal policies set by the College’sPolicy on Protests and Demonstrations. Employers can try to enforce internal policies prohibiting employees from engaging in protected labor activity, but the National Labor Relations Act—a law won by decades of worker struggle against the unilateral authority of employers—supersedes any such union-busting policy. K-SWOC/UE will resist, through all available legal channels, any further attempt by the College to violate the rights of student workers to engage in lawful labor activity or punish them for peacefully demonstrating.

Finally, if any student involved in lawful picketing either on Thursday, April 29 or any other day during K-SWOC/UE’s legally-protected strike for union recognition faces disciplinary action by the College for activities related to such lawful picketing, K-SWOC/UE will immediately file further Unfair Labor Practices against such action.

Sincerely,
The Kenyon Student Worker Organizing Committee (K-SWOC/UE)