Boston University

09/18/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2024 03:53

University, RA Union Agree to 3-Year Contract, with Vote Pending

University, RA Union Agree to 3-Year Contract, with Vote Pending

Includes $1,700 per-semester stipend, free or discounted meals, and continued free housing

The University and resident assistants (RAs) have reached a contract that institutes a $1,700 stipend per semester and extends free or discounted meals to all RAs.

University News

University, RA Union Agree to 3-Year Contract, with Vote Pending

Includes $1,700 stipend per semester, free or discounted meals, and continued free housing

September 18, 2024
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Boston University and its Residence Life Union have agreed to a three-year contract that would provide all resident assistants (RAs) free meals-a benefit formerly given only to dormitory-based RAs-along with a new $1,700 stipend per semester, effective with the current semester.

The contract would continue BU's provision of free housing to all RAs. It must be ratified by the 300 members of the RA bargaining unit, which is part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 509, in a vote scheduled for September 26 and 27.

RAs are sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students who often are the first responders for housing problems, such as student or roommate conflicts and campus crises. Their responsibilities include addressing residence hall rules and building a tight-knit community within their residence hall. RAs' compensation includes free housing, valued at about $11,000 to $20,000 at BU. The $1,700 stipend, a first for BU, is competitive with what other Boston-area universities offer, says Jason Campbell-Foster, dean of students.

"The way in which this contract came to be was only possible because of the open-mindedness and advocacy of the students," he says, "and also their willingness to negotiate with management for a contract that is reasonable and fair to both parties. They brought passion, they brought seriousness, they were respectful, they listened to the reasons why we may not have been able to accept certain requests. This was truly, from our perspective, the best way to get to an agreement. These students did a phenomenal job. The interactions at the table were always respectful and kind."

The way in which this contract came to be was only possible because of the open-mindedness and advocacy of the students.
Jason Campbell-Foster

Union representatives expressed elation at reaching an agreement.

"My coworkers and I fought for this contract because we believe everyone deserves dignity and respect," says Olivia Tambascio (CAS'23, SPH'25), a graduate student RA. "This agreement is a huge step forward for us. It isn't just about winning improvements for today's ResLife workers. Our fight creates a pathway for future ResLife workers to continue to fight for what they deserve."

SEIU 509 President David Foley calls the agreement a "victory [and] a testament to the hard work and dedication of our ResLife members. We are proud to have reached an agreement that not only secures higher wages, but also makes significant improvements to their working conditions."

The proposed contract also institutes a grace period for RAs whose grade point average falls below the level required of them, Campbell-Foster says. "We give them a period of time for their grades to rebound before we consider dismissing them from the [RA] role," he says. As part of the settlement, both sides agreed to withdraw pending complaints against the other before the National Labor Relations Board, he says.

The agreement caps nine months of negotiations that included a weeklong strike by about 75 of the union's 300 members. Most of those who were striking returned to work after BU announced that it would charge them for their rooms, and in some cases for meals, while they were not fulfilling their duties as campus RAs.

Campbell-Foster also praised "the resilience that the Residence Life professional staff showed from the very first vote to unionize right up until the settlement."

He says those staff at the bargaining table gave countless hours to prep time and negotiations "and made sure that all members of the professional staff understood what was going on and knew how they could best support both the University and also the students in the bargaining unit. I stand in awe of them. These types of situations can be stressful, and it does take some learning and willingness to understand an unfamiliar process, and that takes a great deal of patience and curiosity. And they brought that and more to the table during this negotiation."

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  • Rich Barlow

    Senior Writer

    Rich Barlow is a senior writer at BU Today and Bostonia magazine. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a former Boston Globe religion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. Profile

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    Cydney Scott has been a professional photographer since graduating from the Ohio University VisCom program in 1998. She spent 10 years shooting for newspapers, first in upstate New York, then Palm Beach County, Fla., before moving back to her home city of Boston and joining BU Photography. Profile

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