Information on Resident Assistant Unionization Effort

Read the latest messages on the resident assistant unionization effort below.

April 16, 2024: RA Union Election Result and Next Steps

April 10, 2024: Update on Resident Assistant Unionization Effort

March 27, 2024: Information on Resident Assistant Unionization Effort

What is a union?

A union is an organization that represents a specific group of employees (or “bargaining unit”) in a number of interactions with their employer. A union negotiates a contract (or “collective bargaining agreement”) on behalf of the bargaining unit which establishes the terms and conditions of employment for those employees within the bargaining unit. A union also represents members of the bargaining unit when disputes arise between members and their employer.

Have undergraduate students serving as Resident Assistants at Georgetown sought representation by a union?

On March 22, 2024, a group of undergraduate students serving as Resident Assistants who have identified themselves as the Georgetown Resident Assistant Coalition (“GRAC”) requested that the University voluntarily recognize Local 153 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (“OPEIU”) as the collective bargaining representative for undergraduate students serving as Resident Assistants at Georgetown without an election. OPEIU simultaneously filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”). 

Who would be covered by the proposed bargaining unit?

A bargaining unit is a group of employees who share common interests in their terms and conditions of employment. This proposed group of undergraduate students would consist of students on the Main Campus who serve as Resident Assistants. The exact composition of the group would change each academic year depending on who is serving as a Resident Assistant on the Main Campus each year. 

Are any Georgetown employees represented by unions?

Yes. Georgetown has a long history of working collaboratively with unions representing its employees. 1199SEIU has represented Georgetown’s facilities and maintenance employees for decades. Georgetown University police officers have similarly been represented by a union for decades and are currently represented by SPFPA. Main Campus adjunct faculty have been represented by SEIU Local 500 for about a decade. Since 2018, graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. or Master’s programs in the Main and Medical Campuses who provide instructional and research services at the University, including Research Assistants, Teaching Assistants, and Teaching Associates (excluding those in the Business School, the School of Medicine, and the Law Center) have been represented by the Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (“GAGE”), which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (“AFT”) as GAGE/AFT.

How have unions on Georgetown’s campus been formed?

All of Georgetown’s unions were established through an election process. GAGE/AFT was elected as the union to represent Graduate Student Assistants in 2018. The union that represents our Main Campus adjunct faculty (SEIU Local 500) was certified pursuant to an NLRB election in 2013.  The union that currently represents our police officers (SPFPA) was selected through an NLRB election in 2023, after a series of prior elections to select their union representatives since the 1970s.  The union that represents our facilities and maintenance employees (1199SEIU) was also certified pursuant to an NLRB election in the 1970s.  

What is the NLRB?

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a federal agency created to enforce the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRA is a federal law originally passed in 1935 to protect the rights of employees and employers by, among other things, safeguarding employees’ right to choose whether to be represented by a union.

Has Georgetown ever recognized a union without an election based on a majority of potential members signing authorization forms or cards?

No. All of Georgetown’s unions were established through elections, which provide for a secret ballot and strict procedures to ensure that there is no employer or union coercion of voters. 

Does Georgetown allow employees to freely associate and organize?

Georgetown is deeply committed to our Just Employment Policy, which affirms employees’ right to freely associate and organize. The University respects the rights of employees to vote for or against union representation without intimidation, unjust pressure, undue delay or hindrance in accordance with applicable law.

When was the RA union election held?

The RA union election was held on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

What was the outcome of the election?

A majority of RAs voted in favor of unionization, with a count of 79-3.

How was the outcome of the election determined?

The NLRB counted the secret ballots of all Resident Assistants who voted in the election. The election was decided based on a majority of those who actually voted.  Because it was a secret ballot election, nobody knows how any Resident Assistant voted.

Who was eligible to vote in the election?

Any undergraduate student who has served as a Resident Assistant on Georgetown’s Main Campus during the 2023-24 academic year and who continued to serve as a Resident Assistant as of the date of the election was eligible to vote. 

Who will the union represent?

The union will represent all undergraduate Resident Assistants within the bargaining unit. The exact composition of the union will change each academic year depending on who is serving as a RA on the Main Campus each year.

Who will have to pay union dues?

It is typical for all members of the bargaining unit to be required to pay dues or analogous fees to the union, regardless of whether they voted for or against unionization or didn’t vote at all. Questions regarding dues or other fees should be directed to GRAC/OPEIU.

Is it the established law that Resident Assistants are employees?

The NLRB generally holds that students who perform services for their institution, under the control of their institution, and receive some form of compensation are employees for purposes of the NLRA. Under this standard, the NLRB has held elections among Resident Assistants at several other private colleges and universities in the last two years.

What happens next?

Per the NLRB’s election process, the NLRB certification of the result of the election will be finalized after a seven-day period during which either party can file objections. Upon certification by the NLRB, OPEIU Local 153 will become the exclusive representative regarding terms and conditions of employment for RAs.

When the NLRB’s certification is finalized, Georgetown will assemble the appropriate team to work in good faith with OPEIU to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.

The University is required to maintain the status quo with respect to “terms and conditions of employment” during this interim period. Generally, this means that the University cannot unilaterally change compensation, benefits, or certain other aspects of employment without first negotiating with the union. Typically, any changes discussed in negotiations would only be implemented once the negotiation process is complete, which could be a year or more after the election.

Can the University make exceptions to a collective bargaining agreement for individual student employees?

Generally not – under federal labor law, individual workers cannot opt out of any collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union and their employer. A collective bargaining agreement typically results in a standard set of rules and regulations with limited flexibility for specific or individual circumstances.

What happens during collective bargaining?

Both the University and the union have a duty to bargain in good faith toward an agreement. Both entities can put forth proposals regarding terms or conditions of employment, and neither the University nor the union are required to agree to any proposal, including wage increases and expectations for supervision. Neither the University nor the union know exactly what may be included in a contract or what the outcome of collective bargaining negotiations would be.

What is the scope of collective bargaining?

The National Labor Relations Act requires employers and unions to bargain collectively over “wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.” The scope of collective bargaining relates to the terms and conditions of the RA position. It does not include matters regarding RAs’ academic experience as students.

What would be in a union contract between RAs and the University?

Federal law does not mandate how a union or an employer determine their respective agendas for a negotiation or require that certain subject matters are covered by an agreement. Each side develops contract proposals and strategies based on what they believe are in their best interests.

Collective bargaining agreements usually include provisions on hours of work, compensation, benefits, and workload, but the law does not require that these provisions be in a contract. The law requires the parties to engage in good faith negotiations over these types of mandatory subjects of bargaining, but does not require either side to agree to any particular terms. 

Can individuals opt out of union representation?

No. Once a union is certified as the collective bargaining representative for a unit of employees, everyone employed within the bargaining unit is represented solely by the union, regardless of whether they voted or how they voted. All RAs will likely pay dues or equivalent amounts in exchange for the union’s representation.

As new students become RAs, including the ones hired for next academic year, do they automatically become part of the union?

Yes, if they are included within the bargaining unit, they will be represented by the union.

If a union is approved now, will the RAs who serve next year have an opportunity to vote at that time?

By law, there cannot be another election for one year after this election. If the University and the union reach agreement on a labor contract, that contract would bar an election for up to three years.

If the union is approved, how long does it take to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the University?

There is no way to predict the length of negotiations, but it is normal for the process of negotiating a first agreement to take a year, and sometimes more. Existing wages, benefits, and working conditions would remain in place during the negotiations.