Posts tagged Northeastern University
BU grad workers vote to strike Monday
March 22, 2024 // The Boston University graduate workers union voted Wednesday to go on strike Monday afternoon if they do not reach a contract agreement with the university. The union, which represents roughly 3,000 graduate student workers at BU, voted last week to authorize the strike after a longstanding battle with the university over fair pay and stronger benefits, including health care coverage and child care assistance.
NUPD sergeant and sergeant detectives vote to be represented by a union
September 28, 2023 // On Sept. 8, the university filed a request for review of the NLRB’s decision and direction of election, citing that the regional director of the case “either misunderstood the evidence, misrepresented it, or simply ignored it — or a combination of all three — and misapplied the law.” The university reiterated its original arguments in opposing the election, saying the sergeants and sergeant detectives have independent judgment when issuing disciplinary and supervisory actions which would disqualify them from unionizing. On Sept. 15, the American Coalition of Public Safety filed a brief in opposition to the request for review, arguing that the university did not meet its burden of proof to show sergeants had supervisory status. Employees with supervisory status, or the ability to impose disciplinary actions and direct other employees using ‘independent judgment,’ are not protected under the National Labor Relations Act.
Push to unionize at college dorms is growing
March 31, 2023 // Colleges have been a breeding ground for illness and social havoc since the pandemic began, and much of the onus has been placed on RAs, who are appointed to shepherd the well-being of an entire floor of younger students. In the past, that has typically meant hosting events, mediating roommate disputes, and perhaps guiding an overserved first-year safely to bed. For this, RAs are compensated with free or discounted housing and meal plans. But in recent semesters, and especially since schools reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic, those responsibilities have ballooned. RAs who spoke with the Globe describe being deputized as “COVID police” to enforce masking and social distance, and wrangling students whose university — or even high school — experience was stunted by lockdowns and remote learning. Several schools later assigned RAs to longer overnight “on call” shifts and additional check-ins with residents.
Coffee shop staff move to form unions, progressing labor movement in the city
December 18, 2021 // In the months after Pavement UNITED’s win, other coffee shop workers have joined the movement to improve labor conditions.