Bennington College has finalized its collective bargaining agreements with the three groups that make up the college’s union, according to a June 5 news release.

The agreements come after a unionization process that began in 2023, after 150 faculty, staff and campus safety workers formed Bennington College United. The union — which is backed by AFT Vermont, an umbrella labor union for higher education and health care workers — cited concerns about high staff turnover, a lack of policy surrounding raises and a lack of transparency about the college’s finances. 

The agreements, sent to VtDigger by AFT Vermont, detail improved working conditions for union members, including increased wages and bonuses, guaranteed tuition exchange and benefits for family of staff and transparency on the finances of bargaining unit employees.

The Bennington College United bargaining team wrote in a statement that they were proud of the improvements they gained in negotiations, and that their next step was to “fight for a better retirement contribution,” on July 1, 2026.

“This agreement reflects what is possible when institutions and labor come together with mutual respect and a commitment to mission,” Bennington College President Laura Walker said in a press release. “I am grateful to the members of BCU for their dedication to Bennington, and to the College’s negotiating teams for their tireless and thoughtful work.”

“We’re stronger together, always have been and always will be,” Bennington faculty and union member David Bond told VtDigger in a written statement. “With DC missives attacking the public purpose of higher education and many university administrators bending to the bully, it is more important than ever to secure faculty and staff a seat at the table.”

Bennington College United originally planned to negotiate as a collective whole but after discussions with the administration, organizers agreed to split into three different bargaining units. In exchange, the university voluntarily acknowledged the union. 

Although this is Bennington College’s first official union, the school’s dining hall workers are already unionized under the Service Employees International Union, and a “faculty forum” once served as an informal union for faculty members, according to Bennington’s student newspaper, the Bennington Lens.

The collective bargaining agreements come amid a wave of unionization in higher education. The number of unionized faculty in the United States grew by 7.5% between 2012 and 2024, according to research from The City University of New York. 

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