Resident Assistants at Tufts, Barnard Form Unions to Improve Their Jobs
As my sophomore year at Tufts University comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on enjoyable moments and my accomplishments that have occurred over the course of the school year. One of the achievements I’m most proud of is that my union — the United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants, part of OPEIU Local 153 — ratified our first contract. The union contract was the result of about seven months worth of negotiating with the Tufts administration over resident assistants’ pay, benefits, and working conditions, and we ratified the contract with 96% “yes” votes. What excites me the most, though, is knowing we’re part of a wave of resident assistants organizing at campuses across the country.
Resident assistants at private colleges and universities have only had the right to unionize for seven years. In 2017, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the government agency that has jurisdiction over enforcement of private sector employees’ workplace rights, recognized that resident assistants at private schools are workers as well as students and have the right to join together in union. The NLRB reaffirmed this ruling just last year when it recognized the University of Pennsylvania’s resident assistants’ ability to unionize.
Not only can resident assistants organize unions, but we need to form unions for our jobs to be sustainable. It’s easy to think that resident assistants are fairly compensated when our housing costs are reduced or fully covered, but we're working a 24/7 job that requires responding to difficult — sometimes even dangerous — situations. Some colleges and universities also reduce or modify resident assistants’ overall financial aid packages due to the subsidized housing costs that come with the job, which means many resident assistants on financial aid are essentially receiving less pay than student workers who are not on financial aid. Housing is just one of many expenses for student workers. We still need to be able to pay for food and other basic necessities.
Fortunately, more and more student workers are realizing what can be gained by exercising our right to come together in union. In the last year and a half, resident assistants at 12 private colleges and universities, including those at Swarthmore, Barnard, and my school Tufts, have formed unions with the Office of Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). By negotiating collectively with our administrations, we have been able to address our compensation, safety concerns, lack of transparency, and many other issues that affect our livelihoods and college experiences as resident assistants. Additionally, many resident assistants who are represented by unions have been able to secure holiday pay and extra pay for working over a certain amount of hours. My union contract at Tufts University increased compensation from $0 to a $2,850 stipend with a meal plan, and it improved job security. Our contract also creates staffing ratios of no more than 30 first year students or 50 continuing students per resident assistant to help foster manageable workloads. Crucially, we are no longer “at-will” employees who can be disciplined or fired at any time for any reason because with our union contract, we secured “just cause” protections, which means management must have just and fair reasons for disciplining or dismissing us.
All workers, including student workers, deserve to have a say in the terms and conditions of their work. From what I’ve seen, having a legally protected voice in our workplace has improved morale, working conditions, and fostered more of a community amongst resident assistants here at Tufts. Next year, I will again be a resident assistant and my union membership largely led me to that decision. I encourage all student workers to think about what you would do with a greater voice in your workplace. Are there needed improvements, or would you like to codify the things you already like about your job? If so, I would encourage you to look into joining together in union with your coworkers.
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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
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