On Nov. 20, the Temple Union of Resident Assistants sent a letter to newly-instated university President John Fry requesting union recognition. In the letter, TURA asked Temple administration to meet, communicate and collaborate with them as a union to work toward a bargaining process.
The union originally sent a letter to former President Richard Englert and the Board of Trustees on Sept. 30 demanding recognition. In November, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board announced it would not direct a hearing in TURA’s filing because TURA’s collective does not meet PLRB’s standards for a union election.
The union claims they have yet to receive a response from university officials. Recognition from the university would automatically trigger contract bargaining sessions, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
TURA is a collective of undergraduate student workers supported by more than 80% of Temple’s resident assistants and peer mentors, according to the union. It was formed through the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153 to improve working conditions including comparable financial compensation to previous years and consistency through worker treatment.
Temple must recognize TURA as a union following PLRB’s denial of an election because it’s the only remaining route for the student employees to gain union protections. This includes the ability to strike, the automatic collective bargaining process and negotiating contracts with employers to secure fair and equitable rights.
Student workers deserve fair conditions and adequate compensation and Temple should support them. Fry has the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of student employees by recognizing TURA as an official university union. RAs and PMs are a vital part of the university and acknowledging TURA as a union would be a great step for Fry’s early presidency in the face of PLRB’s denial.
Being an RA comes with a hefty time commitment and a long list of responsibilities; RAs start working in early August and train to be Campus Security Authorities and mandated reporters for Title IX violations. Once classes start, RAs can only commit 10-15 hours a week to outside obligations and are on-call at least once a week. They also must assist with residence hall operations during breaks.
Shannon Raymer, a second-year RA in White Hall, feels she and other University Housing and Residential Life members aren’t fairly compensated for the amount and significance of their work.
“I feel like every single week, especially this year, we’ve had a lot of issues with roommate conflicts, mental health issues, financial instability and worry from students, and this job is incredibly difficult as well,” said Raymer, a junior psychology major. “It is rewarding, but it’s also a lot of work, a lot of responsibility and the stuff that we do, we deserve more compensation for that.”
By acknowledging TURA as a union, the university can negotiate with student workers to find acceptable compensation. Other universities, like the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, have recently formed RA unions to find agreement on areas of contention.
In June, Penn State’s RA union ratified their first contract receiving increased benefits, including a greater financial stipend of $3,000. In April, Drexel’s Residential Assistants Union was ratified and began the bargaining process for their first contract with the university.
Temple officials say they support UHRL student workers but haven’t expressed plans to communicate with them following PLRB’s ruling against assisting in a union election.
“The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board has the responsibility to assess requests by unions to represent groups of employees and whether those requests are appropriate under the law,” a university spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Temple News. “We understand that the Professional Employees International Union is asking the PLRB to reconsider this decision. While the PLRB considers their request, the university will continue to work with and support our students.”
UHRL student workers’ compensation currently includes free housing, an unlimited meal plan and a stipend of $200 in tuition credit. In previous years, UHRL student workers also received a $1,000 equivalency in Diamond Dollars, a discontinued on-campus currency.
The current financial compensation is insufficient for students to cover expenses like books, food and other necessities. Workers experience limited flexibility in their lives, and often can’t have jobs and an additional source of income outside their positions in student housing, making it dire for RAs to get proper compensation from Temple, Raymer said.
Student workers must also balance work with academics, which can lead to challenges like burnout. TURA workers must take up responsibilities by being the first line of support for students facing mental or physical health crises. Such situations can be difficult to navigate and may affect a student worker’s mental well-being.
Given the 24-7 nature of the job, RAs and PMs put their well-being on the back burner for the care of other students and should be fairly compensated for doing so. It’s in the best interest of Fry and other Temple administrators to work with TURA to support these workers and create safe and constructive conditions.
Mario Rodriguez Canuto, a second-year RA in Morgan Hall South, wants Temple to recognize TURA and for the union to develop a positive relationship with the administration.
“We are hopeful that [Fry] will listen to what we’re asking and then voluntarily recognize our union, and then also, negotiate in good faith with us so that we can have a good relationship with Temple, and be heard about, what our needs are and how Temple can help meet them,” said Rodriguez Canuto, a senior media studies and productions major.
TURA members deserve better benefits as essential workers on campus. Temple should acknowledge them as a union and meet with TURA students to prove a commitment to creating the best possible conditions for their student workers.
Nurbanu Sahin contributed reporting.
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