Temple RAs vote 97-0 to join Local 153

Today, 100% of Temple University’s Resident Assistants (RAs) and Peer Mentors (PMs) voted to unionize with OPEIU Local 153, following in the footsteps of RAs at Penn, Drexel, Swarthmore, Bucknell, and more. 

Temple University RAs and PMs play a critical role in student life in the dorms and in the health and well-being of their residents. RAs are undergraduate student workers hired by the University to live in the residence halls and oversee anywhere between 30 to 70 residents. RAs have 1-on-1 meetings with each of their residents, design and put up monthly bulletin boards, hold monthly events for residents, and work overnight on-call duty shifts where RAs serve as first responders to any emergencies inside the dorm. RAs are expected to work a minimum of 20 hours per week on the role, and often they will work more than those 20 expected hours.

Peer Mentors are undergraduate student workers hired by the University to live in the residence halls to oversee and create a sense of community within their assigned Living Learning Communities. PMs are required to have 1-on-1 meetings with their residents, hold monthly events for residents, connect residents to the necessary resources for their learning community, and they are also expected to work a minimum of 20 hours per week on the role.

In forming a union, the Temple Union of RAs (TURA) looks to make improvements on many aspects of working in the dorms at Temple with the goal of improving the overall quality of life for all students living on campus.

“We want to unionize because we want to be seen and heard. In these positions, we sacrifice our time, energy, and social life to ensure a safe and inclusive community is built from the ground up in our halls. We take the time to get to know each resident, accommodate their needs, and provide them support in and outside of academia. We do not have the luxury of support or acknowledgement of how much work it takes to fulfill our duties on a day-to-day basis. We are seeking to address the compensation, the support systems, the structure of upper management, and the overall work environment to respect their Resident Assistants and Peer Mentors. The time of disrespect is now over, and we will not be silenced.” - Soul M. at Hardwick Hall

Temple RAs and PMs have waited over a year to have this election. On September 30, 2024, the Temple Union of Resident Assistants (TURA) asked Temple Human Resources for voluntary recognition after over 80% of RAs and PMs signed union cards. Temple Human Resources ignored the request. On October 9, 2024, TURA filed with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) to have a union election. The PLRB at first rejected the request saying the unit was fragmented and should include all undergraduate student employees. TURA (OPEIU Local 153) successfully challenged this ruling. Then, only after TURA filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge on Temple University's attempt to intimidate RAs and PMs at a rally on October 21, 2024, Temple management agreed to have an election if the union withdrew the ULP charge. 

“Too often, the efforts we make as student workers in ResLife go unnoticed by the university. We shoulder significant responsibilities in our residence halls, caring for residents while managing our own full-time studies. This balancing act can take a mental toll, especially when our work is neither recognized nor fairly compensated. As we prepare to bargain, we will advocate for higher compensation for our Residents Assistants and Peer Mentors and improved working conditions. The value of our work far exceeds the compensation we currently receive.” - Erin H. RA at 1940 Hall

“Temple did not make this easy, but these workers were steadfast and determined to make history as the first unionized undergraduate workers at a public university in Pennsylvania. We are excited to welcome them into our union as the twelfth group of RAs to come together and to demand a seat at the table with their university by forming a union with Local 153” said Scott Williams, Lead Organizer with OPEIU Local 153.