Penn RAs form a union amid a larger organizing push by student workers

A vast majority of resident assistants at the University of Pennsylvania have voted to form a union, making the first RA union in the Philadelphia-area.

It’s another labor-organizing first for the university and the region, whose medical school became the site of the first union of training doctors in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

The final vote tally was 142-22, with turnout of about 75%. The vote took place Wednesday and Thursday at Houston Hall on campus.

“My heart was racing, but once we saw how many yeses were coming in, I was so excited,” said Conor Emery, an undergraduate senior and second-year RA at Penn. “It’s very relieving to know we’re going to have a say at the bargaining table.”

The student workers, consisting of undergraduate resident assistants and graduate resident assistants, are full-time students who live in university housing and assist other residents. They will be members of the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153.

When the RAs filed their petition with the National Labor Relations Board, Penn had challenged it, arguing that the students are temporary workers and not employees under the law that governs unionization. The NLRB rejected that argument in August, clearing the way for this week’s vote.

Scott Williams, an organizer with OPEIU Local 153, said Penn’s resistance to the organizers’ efforts only adds significance to the vote result.

“It was a historic vote, a landslide victory,” Williams said, noting that 70% of RAs backed the petition to unionize in March, but 87% of the vote was in favor of unionizing six months later. “It’s showing that there’s a growing interest and support.”

Penn spokesperson Ron Ozio acknowledged the outcome of the vote in a statement Friday.

“The NLRB must certify the election outcome, at which time we will provide more information to the RAs and GRAs. We thank the RAs and GRAs who participated in this important process,” Ozio said.

The union will now have to bargain a first contract with the university, a process that can be lengthy. Williams said it would be ideal to ratify a contract before April or May, so it’s within the current school year.

“We’ve been able to make a lot of progress at other universities very quickly,” he added.

RAs have been similarly organizing labor unions at U.S. universities including at Barnard, Mount Holyoke, Wesleyan, Columbia, and Tufts, after a 2016 NLRB ruling paved the way for student workers at private colleges to unionize. Those at many public colleges already had that right under state laws.

RAs at Tufts University just ratified their first contract, which included a more robust meal plan and a stipend, after forming a union in December. Their efforts to get that contract included a strike on move-in day in August.

The top issues in negotiations for Penn RAs include compensation and work-life balance. In exchange for about 20 hours per week of work, they receive a free room on campus and a partial dining plan.

Students who benefit from financial aid that may cover part of their room and board do not see additional assistance when they become RAs, Williams added. Many RAs end up getting a second campus job so they have cash on hand, he said.

Omar Elsakhawy, a sophomore undergraduate resident assistant, said part of his motivation to become an RA was to reduce the costs of housing and food. But the partial food plan is “meager,” he said, and he often ends up spending $80 to $100 per week on groceries to fill in the gaps.

“We have to be really strategic about when we’re going to eat and how we’re going to eat,” Elsakhawy said.

He also noted that work distribution is not equitable, as some buildings have more RAs to share the duties than others have. Compensation for those who do more would be appropriate, he suggested.

“We contribute a lot of value to the university,” Elsakhawy said. “I’m feeling empowered to make a difference in the way we’re treated.”