Tufts RAs win their union 99-3!

Resident Assistants (RAs) at Tufts University vote to certify union, join OPEIU Local 153

Medford, MA — Resident Assistants (RAs) at Tufts University voted 99-3 in an election certified by the National Labor Relations Board to certify their labor union, the United Labor of Tufts RAs (ULTRA). The Tufts RAs are affiliating with the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153. The union will now begin forming a bargaining committee and initiate the collective bargaining process.

RAs at Tufts University have spent the semester organizing their unit of 142 RAs across the many on-campus residential halls and University-run houses. These student workers will join the growing number of undergraduate student workers represented by OPEIU: recently, the RAs at Wesleyan University and Barnard University both won their unions with OPEIU Local 153. Wesleyan RAs hope to have their first contract settled before the end of the year. ULTRA also joins the larger surge in organizing across higher education institutions, including recent public union campaigns among grad students all over the country.

“This is a victory for all RAs, both current and future. We now have won a real say over our jobs, and we look forward to productively bargaining with university administration over our compensation, schedules, and other working conditions. With the labor movement seeing such a surge in momentum, we are excited to now be a part of it.” -David Whittingham, current RA and organizing committee member.

Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. The university employs undergraduate students as Resident Assistants in its on-campus residence halls, where they host community programming, maintain a weeknight and weekend crisis response line, and perform various administrative duties.

“Tufts RAs are leading the charge alongside those at Wesleyan, Barnard, Grinnell, Kenyon, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, and elsewhere. Undergraduate workers are raising consciousness and the movement is only growing. With first contracts coming down the pike, I think we’re going to continue to see more and more undergrad workers organizing for even the most fundamental rights. These workers have been denied benefits and fair wages for far too long.” Grace Reckers, Lead Organizer with OPEIU.

OPEIU Local 153, a local of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, represents employees in nonprofit organizations, technology, credit unions, hospitals, insurance agencies, colleges and universities, hotels, administrative offices and more. OPEIU is committed to advancing economic justice for working people no matter their occupation. Most recently, OPEIU Local 153 successfully won a union with the Wesleyan University Residential Life student workers and Barnard University RAs.

To keep updated on the United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants (ULTRA) campaign, visit their website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram!

To contact United Labor of Tufts RAs (ULTRA), email press@tuftsraunion.com. For OPEIU, contact Grace Reckers at greckers@opeiu.org.