Penn RAs unanimously ratify first contract

Penn Resident Advisors Ratify Union Contract, Increase Pay and Benefits

Undergraduate and Graduate Resident Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania have ratified their first ever union contract with 100% voting yes for their new contract with OPEIU Local 153. The new contract includes raises of $3,000 in stipends, 20 additional meals, and a $750 contract ratification payment for those who worked in Spring 2024. 

Penn Resident Advisors organized their union throughout 2023, winning a union election at the end of September 2023, only after the union defeated Penn’s delay tactics by falsely claiming that RAs were “not employees.”  Starting contract negotiations in December 2023, RAs pushed around their major demands from their union campaign, including more compensation, more of a voice, and better protections. During negotiations, Penn delayed the negotiation on pay until after the end of the semester, prompting RAs to have a rally and speak in front of Philadelphia City Council to ask for their support for a fair compensation proposal.  This pressure caused Penn to finally negotiate. 

“As a graduating senior who has worked on this campaign for years, it is remarkable to finally see RAs receiving compensation for the important work they do at Penn.  I hope other RA unions in the Philadelphia area and beyond can learn from our negotiation campaign to strike even better deals with their employers, and I hope other student workers on Penn’s campus can feel energized to unionize and to bargain their own contracts too.” -Conor Emery, United RAs at Penn 

“Penn tried to slow us down but we persisted and won a first contract which improves so many aspects of working in the College House system. We have shown that student workers can win at Penn!” -Shaashi Ahlawat, Graduate RA, United RAs at Penn

This historic agreement is the first for student workers at Penn. It includes a guaranteed room, support during the disciplinary process, a grievance and arbitration procedure, a Labor Management Committee to give workers input into the College House system, and no givebacks or losses in current duties or rights.

Penn RAs join over 1,000 RAs who have joined OPEIU Local 153, including their peers across Pennsylvania at Swarthmore, Drexel, and Bucknell. This is the fifth ratified RA first union contract at Local 153  in the past year and a half. 

If you would like to cover this story, contact Scott Williams at swilliams@opeiu-tristate.org.