A union representing over 150 food service and maintenance workers at St. Lawrence University reports little progress in negotiations leading up to a June 30, when current contract terms expire. 

A June 6 press release from SEIU Local 200 reports that union leadership “have been negotiating in good faith with University administration for the past six months,” and states that the University “is proposing a deeply concessionary agreement that would significantly undermine workers' financial security and dignity.”

The proposal includes provisions to reduce retirement benefits by 40%, reduce dental coverage, and impose a new medical plan for the SLU workers represented by the union. 

The union asserts that the agreement “would perpetuate sub-living wages” and “add insult to injury” by limiting paid holidays. 

Union representatives say they have repeatedly expressed concern that many of their members already live paycheck to paycheck, including a majority of whom earn pay below the living wage for St. Lawrence County. 

Despite this, the University has reportedly responded by stating, “Our wages are similar to workers in the same occupation within the area”—an admission that poverty-level wages elsewhere are being used to justify maintaining them at St. Lawrence.

“The financial challenges facing the University are not the fault of the workers,” said a union spokesperson. “Yet it is the lowest-paid employees—those who keep the University running every day—who are being asked to make the greatest sacrifices.”

SEIU Local 200 United says it remains committed to securing a fair contract and says there is still time to reach an agreeable set of terms.