Gómez attends press conference of striking Mount Holyoke College facilities and dining hall workers

At 10:00 a.m., striking facilities and dining hall workers at Mount Holyoke College—members of 32BJ SEIU—were joined at the main campus gate by UAW Local 2322 housekeepers and supporters for a press conference following a coordinated walkout. The strike, which began at approximately 5:30 a.m., comes in response to what workers describe as the college’s refusal to bargain in good faith and threats against union members, both of which constitute unfair labor practices under the National Labor Relations Act.

“This morning, I stood in solidarity with the courageous Mount Holyoke dining, facilities, and housekeeping workers who are on strike demanding living wages, dignity, and fair treatment,” said Senator Adam Gómez. “These workers—represented by 32BJ SEIU and UAW Local 2322—are the backbone of the college. They deserve contracts that reflect the cost of living in Western Mass and the critical services they provide to this campus every single day.”

With over 185,000 members in 12 states, including 20,000 in Massachusetts, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property services union in the country. UAW Local 2322 represents thousands of academic and service workers across western Massachusetts. Both unions have called on Mount Holyoke College to cease all unfair labor practices, drop retaliatory actions against workers, and return to the bargaining table immediately with real proposals that meet the basic needs of their employees.