Dear students,
We’re writing with an update on the university’s ongoing commitment to protecting your privacy following Vanderbilt Graduate Workers United—International Union, UAW’s petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
As we’ve shared with you previously, on October 7, 2024, Vanderbilt received a subpoena from the NLRB that directed the university to provide the full name, work location, job shift, and job classification of all students in the proposed bargaining unit. Vanderbilt provided you notice of this action under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) so that, as required by law, you had an opportunity to object to the release of this information.
More than 80 of you exercised your right to object to the first subpoena. We heard your concerns: your discomfort with sharing personal information, and frustration with this process and the distraction from your studies.Vanderbilt filed a motion supporting these objections. To comply with the law while also protecting your private information, Vanderbilt provided the NLRB with redacted documents that did not include your names.
On October 16, 2024, Vanderbilt received a second, broader subpoena requested by the Union. The second subpoena sought additional categories of private information protected under FERPA, including your individual offer letters and payroll records. We again ensured that you had notice and the opportunity to object. Over fifty of you have objected to date. The deadline to register objections to the second subpoena is Tuesday, October 29.
While so far Vanderbilt has been able to comply with NLRB processes and the subpoenas while also protecting your information through redactions, the Union continues to push for the disclosure of your personal information. During a hearing before the NLRB, which is ongoing this week, the Union has repeatedly asked for unredacted student information. Late on Wednesday afternoon, the Union filed a special appeal to the NLRB designed to punish the university for protecting the privacy of your student records.
We understand that it is frustrating and disconcerting that these third parties can compel the production of your personal information. Unfortunately, NLRB processes mandate disclosure of private information at numerous steps of the unionization process:
- Should the NLRB decide that our students are “employees,” and an election is ordered, Vanderbilt may have a legal obligation to disclose your full name, home address, cell phone number, and personal email directly to the NLRB and the Union. There are no limits on what the Union is permitted to do with this information.
- And, if the Union is elected and becomes your exclusive bargaining representative, the Union will have a broad right to request private information about all individuals within the bargaining unit. This could include information on your health benefits utilization, copies of your W-2s or 1099s, or other information that both you and Vanderbilt would likely consider private or sensitive.
Vanderbilt is committed to protecting your personal information. Unfortunately, the filing of the petition requires us to comply with the National Labor Relations Act. For that reason, we wanted to remind you of Tuesday’s objection deadline. We’ll continue to share information as the NLRB process unfolds, and as you consider whether to support the Union.
Sincerely,
C. Cybele Raver
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
C. André Christie-Mizell
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School
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