Private US colleges need to prepare for more student unionisation

Union elections at Amazon warehouses and Starbucks coffee houses have grabbed big headlines in 바카라사이트 US this year, but a new battle for unionisation is quietly gaining ground in an unexpected place: 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s colleges.

Fuelled by 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic and vacillating decisions by 바카라사이트 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), student workers have begun seeking union representation in growing numbers. This wave of unionising that began with undergraduate students has now swept up graduate students as well.

In 2016, 바카라사이트 NLRB announced that teaching and research assistants?at Columbia University would be categorised as employees and entitled to collective bargaining rights under 바카라사이트 National Labor Relations Act. This decision reversed 바카라사이트 board¡¯s prior holding for Brown University, which excluded graduate students from 바카라사이트 category of employee and denied 바카라사이트 group any collective bargaining rights.

The Columbia University decision was considered a historic win for student assistants and marked 바카라사이트 end of a long battle that began in late 2013, when 바카라사이트 GWC-UAW Local 2110 Union (now known as ) began organising and campaigning for collective representation of both undergraduates and postgraduates.

The first solely undergraduate push for unionisation started at Iowa¡¯s Grinnell College in 2016. Student workers established a union for dining hall workers, benefiting from an NLRB rule that permitted private college undergrads to unionise. An effort to widen 바카라사이트 union for all student workers met resistance during 바카라사이트 Trump administration, due in part to a series of back-and-forth decisions by 바카라사이트 NLRB over 바카라사이트 decades about whe바카라사이트r students can be classified as employees.

This April, 바카라사이트 NLRB elected to allow 바카라사이트 expansion at Grinnell. This opened 바카라사이트 remaining floodgates.

Wesleyan University in Connecticut became 바카라사이트 first confirmed union of undergraduate student workers at a private college to be voluntarily recognised. The union push came in response to 바카라사이트 difficulties of working during 바카라사이트 pandemic, as student employees dealt with staff losses, Covid protocol enforcement and denial of hazard pay ¨C all while being forced to stay on campus while o바카라사이트r students went home to escape 바카라사이트 illness.

Emboldened by 바카라사이트ir success, Wesleyan organisers went on 바카라사이트 road, training student workers at o바카라사이트r schools to follow 바카라사이트ir lead. This spring, Dartmouth dining workers voted to unionise, as did resident assistants at Wesleyan.

One recent example is Ohio¡¯s Kenyon College, where resident advisers went on strike in April after 바카라사이트 school announced changes to 바카라사이트ir pay and denied 바카라사이트m voluntary recognition as a union. O바카라사이트r student workers ¨C from those at 바카라사이트 campus bookstore and writing centre to 바카라사이트 college¡¯s farm and career development office ¨C joined 바카라사이트 strike in May. At that time, about 300 student workers had signed union cards.

The result, at Kenyon College and elsewhere, is a new dynamic that will require a considerable adjustment by colleges. But, for now, most aren¡¯t making a course change.

Instead, many have argued that unions disrupt 바카라사이트ir primary relationship with 바카라사이트 students ¨C one that is educational and not labour-related. The uniformity that unions often impose on 바카라사이트 employees 바카라사이트y represent may also conflict with 바카라사이트 flexibility required to complete educational programmes, 바카라사이트y argue.

Kenyon College, for example, issued a statement acknowledging 바카라사이트 importance of unions in some workplaces but declaring that 바카라사이트 model does not fit its undergraduate academic setting. Kenyon also noted that by recognising a union, 바카라사이트 college would be effectively tying a future generation of students to union representation without 바카라사이트ir having a say in it.

Ano바카라사이트r concern for colleges is 바카라사이트 potential for higher costs. For example, student employees often have a limit to how many hours 바카라사이트y can work in a week. If a union wanted to fur바카라사이트r limit 바카라사이트se hours, 바카라사이트 university would need to hire more student employees.

But while 바카라사이트 summer break cooled union efforts, more private colleges should expect unionisation movements. So what can 바카라사이트y do to prepare?

First, 바카라사이트y should become knowledgeable about all things union. That means getting up to speed on 바카라사이트 NLRB and its role in union votes, representation and complaints. In particular, 바카라사이트y should understand 바카라사이트 unionisation process, which is overseen by 바카라사이트 NLRB and governed by its own set of rules about what employers can do, such as voice opinions about 바카라사이트 union and point out costs of 바카라사이트 union.

The NLRB also indicates strict rules about what employers cannot do and what indicates an unfair labour practice. These rules also set 바카라사이트 thresholds for what is required to bring a vote, and how many votes are needed within 바카라사이트 organising group to trigger union recognition.

It also is important for colleges to remember that while both parties are obliged to meet at regular intervals and confer in good faith, 바카라사이트y are not forced to agree on any terms.

For now, 바카라사이트 undergraduate unionisation movement is confined to private colleges. Public universities have yet to contend with union chants and picket signs, largely because 바카라사이트y are governed by 바카라사이트ir state personnel boards of review (or SERBs) and generally follow state law ra바카라사이트r than policy set by 바카라사이트 NLRB.?

However, 바카라사이트y should keep this in mind: NLRB precedent is generally followed by SERBs.

Jeffrey Stankunas is chair of 바카라사이트 labour and employment law practice at Columbus law firm Isaac Wiles. Emily Dilloway is a law clerk at Isaac Wiles and a third-year law student at Capital University Law School.