Swarthmore College Resident Assistants win union election 46 - 5

Today, Swarthmore College Resident Assistant won the Resident Assistant union election with 90% voting union yes, successfully joining OPEIU Local 153. 

“Unionizing has brought a lot of hope to this job that has been a mostly miserable experience so far. Our working conditions have been very unfair and precarious for all of us, but especially so for my vulnerable co-workers. Unionization gives us a real stability and feeling of safety as RAs face constant pressure from the school and management. I’m so excited to work collectively to make sure we are all taken care of as we care for our peers.” – Tyler Hicks ‘24, Swarthmore RA

After the election, RAs will work together to prepare for negotiations with Swarthmore, bringing their experience to the table to improve working conditions and the quality of life for students for the 96% of Swarthmore students who live on campus. 

“We look forward to getting to the negotiating table so that we can have a real voice in the issues that matter to us. We want fair compensation, more resources for our communities, and more protection from unfair treatment by management. We look forward to winning real change that will last for generations.” -Leia Immanuel, Swarthmore RA

“I am proud that we have worked together to make a change in our work environment. This is only a small part of a bigger change we will bring to our table through collective bargaining. Our union will not only be a chance to establish equity in the workspace but also a way to protect our values and vulnerabilities as Swarthmore students.” - Bethany Winters, Swarthmore RA

This represents the seventh group of RAs to unionize with OPEIU Local 153 since 2022, including RAs at Wesleyan, Barnard, Fordham, UPenn, Tufts and Rensselaer Polytechnic.  This is the first group of unionized employees ever at Swarthmore College.