#student workers

Tufts University Resident Assistants (RAs) authorized a strike earlier this week in response to Tufts’ failure to make any offer for compensation in the form of a stipend. RAs at Tufts are currently only compensated with housing- they need to live on campus to do their jobs- but no stipend or wages during the semester or the three weeks of unpaid training they must attend in early august before other students are on campus. They also do not receive a meal plan.

Tufts recently sent an email communication to university students about Union activity on campus, failing to mention their bad faith attempt at bargaining over the past six months, and ending with a threat against potential strikers.

This portion of the email reads, “We anticipate everyone involved will respect our community values and one another’s right to enjoy the new semester without disruption. While we support the units’ engagement with our campus, any actions or activities that create a hostile campus environment, endanger public safety, or violate our Student Code of Conduct will be addressed by the appropriate members of our staff.”

This is a clear threat of conduct proceedings and potential expulsion against student workers who have a legally protected right to strike without retaliation. OPEIU local 153 is filing an unfair labor practices suit against Tufts University as a result of this threat and others from Tufts lawyers in bargaining meetings.

Support ULTRA, the Tufts RA Union, by signing this petition: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-tufts-resident-assistants-deserve-pay/

First McDonald’s for lunch, then paying for laundry and eyeing that poster sure would look good above the bed. Suddenly, hundreds of dollars from high school graduation checks are gone, but what now? New College’s bustling campus is also a thriving ground for valuable employment opportunities. As the academic year kicks off, students at New College have the opportunity to embrace a diverse array…

UNC-Chapel Hill's housing department laid off all student employees Thursday [2020-09-10] afternoon, citing an expected $20 million loss in revenue due to the transition to online learning.

The students, mostly resident advisors working with first-year students during their transition to college, have been told their last day of work is October 30.  They are allowed to stay in their dorm at the typical $711 per semester rate charged to student housing employees, or they can cancel their housing contracts.  This is the first they've heard about their job status since the school announced its transition to online classes.

Students will be paid for their work up to their layoff.  RAs receive a $5,000 stipend each semester that is handed out over time.  Community Managers, a higher-up student position, make $8,000 a semester.  The cuts could affect some students' financial aid; Carolina Housing tells students that are on need-based aid to contact the school to see how this will change.

RAs were also told that starting November 1 they will need to stop using listservs and group messages to communicate with their former residents, although the FAQ sent to student employees say they "are welcome to continue the valuable friendships they have made with residents who have left campus through personal communication channels."

This week, the school announced that it would no longer be including self-reported positive COVID-19 cases on the Community Dashboard, citing that it was affecting the school's positivity rate.  This took the 8/24-8/30 positivity rate down to 12% with 26 total positive tests, whereas the same time period showed 41.3% with 260 positive tests before the update.

By eliminating all RAs, resident advisor mentor, and community manager positions for the fall semester, the university claims it will save a few million dollars.

The cuts, of course, won't affect Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz's salary, which sits at $620,000.  Vice-Chancellor and Provost Bob Blouin, who previously refused to apologize for bringing students back in the midst of a pandemic, makes over $493,000.

Athletic staff making over $200K took a 20% pay cut earlier this month, bringing Mack Brown's $750K coaching salary down to a paltry $600,000.  No announcement has been made regarding faculty or administration pay cuts.  More employee earnings can be found on the UNC System Salary Information Database.

Follow Digital Content Manager Sara Pequeño on Twitter or send an email to [email protected].

Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.