Updated 9:30 p.m. on 10/21
Temple Union of Residential Assistants held a rally at the Bell Tower Monday to advocate for university recognition of their union. The rally was planned shortly after Temple did not reply to TURA’s initial request for recognition on Oct. 4.
The rally featured speeches from members of Temple Association of University Professionals, Temple University Graduate Students’ Association and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
“We’re not looking to antagonize people, we’re not looking to spite [administration],” said Jam Stebbins, a senior psychology major and second year resident assistant in Morgan South. “All we want is recognition that we deserve fair compensation as workers, and we deserve the same things that all other unionized workers at Temple get because they fight and unionize also.”
Concerns among members in attendance included the fight for better compensation and treatment of RAs. Alongside free room and board, RAs receive a stipend from the university of $200 that is paid to them at the end of every semester. They previously received $1,000 in Diamond Dollars, a now-discontinued on-campus currency, before the university changed the payment prior to this semester.
“Temple University welcomes peaceful demonstrations like what we saw today,” a university spokesperson told The Temple News. “Last week, university representatives had a productive first meeting with members of the Temple Union of RAs, and we are presently reviewing their request.”
A few RAs also cited their supervisors’ inconsistencies in punishments for making mistakes such as taking the wrong key during shifts.
“We’re all one community, we’re all in this together, we are what makes Temple work,” said Jeffrey Doshna, president of TAUP. “If we don’t all stand together, this place doesn’t function. We know that the way that [unionization] happens is when we stand together collectively as a union. I am here on behalf of our union saying we are with you in your fight, but we are here to make sure that y’all get the respect that you deserve.”
The RAs filed to form a union with OPEIU Local 153 in late September and have since pushed to receive recognition. Other OPEIU RA unions include Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, who received benefits such as seniority pay bumps, per diem payment and guaranteed days off.
Members of Temple’s Human Resources department, including Vice President Sharon Boyle, were also present.
Scott Williams, an organizer with the Office and Professional Employees International Union, emailed HR after the event, writing that the extensive number of university officials could have been an intimidation tactic to scare TURA from organizing and rallying.
“I actually sent a text to [university officials] saying that we should rethink our approach of having so many people at these things,” Boyle wrote in response in an email obtained by The Temple News. “It really elevates the significance and doesn’t make any sense.”
The email also stated that TURA did not make a reservation but administration decided to let them continue with their rally.
Student workers have a history of attempting to unionize on campus. In 2023, undergraduate workers organized to receive university recognition, but were unable to because of a low signup rate.
RA speakers at the event specified to the crowd that they weren’t criticizing their jobs or their residents, but rather the lack of a support system and proper compensation that the university and their supervisors fail to provide to RAs.
“We have been telling and telling Temple admin all of the things that our residents need from us, and we’ve been hearing radio silence or empty platitudes for years,” Stebbins said in her speech. “This used to be a theme because they’ve never responded to a request for unionization, but they still can. I don’t want to have to beg Temple for support for our residents.”
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