Resident Assistants (RAs) at Fordham’s Rose Hill (FRH) campus announced their plan to unionize in an Instagram post shared on Feb. 1. The union was formed as a result of the RAs reporting complaints of mistreatment from the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) and is calling for recognition, support, fair pay, respect and sufficient resources.  

“We are tired of no pay, and a lack of respect and communication,” the FRH RAs commented in their announcement on Instagram. 

The RAs made a petition available to the public on the same day as their union announcement. According to the petition, the FRH RAs are a part of a growing movement of RAs from universities — such as Barnard College, Tufts University and Wesleyan University — to unionize.

The letter within the petition noted that 76% of the nearly 100 FRH RAs have come together to create the union. As of Feb. 8, the petition reached its goal of 100 signatures and established a new goal of 200. 

The RAs are currently represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153. OPEIU Local 153 is a trade union that represents a variety of employees across different workplaces, including colleges and universities. 

Scott Williams, an organizer for the FRH RA union who works for OPEIU Local 153, said that working alongside the RAs has been “an honor.” He emphasized their determination to improve FRH ResLife, shown by how they assumed responsibility of organizing a union.

“The Fordham RA Union is an incredible, powerful group of workers who join a growing national movement of undergrads who are organizing for more respect, communication and fair compensation.” Scott Williams, an organizer for the FRH RA union who works for OPEIU Local 153

“The Fordham RA Union is an incredible, powerful group of workers who join a growing national movement of undergrads who are organizing for more respect, communication and fair compensation,” he said. 

Williams added that the RAs have been able to unionize due to the overwhelming support they have received from their coworkers and residents. 

What Are the RA Union’s Demands?

According to the university’s website, the Rose Hill RA position is a 10-monthlong position that begins in August and ends in May. It requires a range of leadership roles that include administrative responsibilities, on-duty rotation expectations, event programming, reporting damage to university property, and ensuring the security of residents. These responsibilities resulted in FRH RAs calling on the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) to provide them with more support.

“I think RAs feel very ignored and disrespected by ResLife administration. I think we feel like they don’t care about us at all, that we’re kind of just bodies in the buildings.” Anonymous RA

One RA, a student at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24 who wished to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation from ResLife, shared that they knew of the RAs wanting to unionize since the fall 2022 semester and added that related conversations have been in progress for at least a couple of months. 

The anonymous RA added that they believe this call to unionize is a “long time coming” and noted a collective feeling among RAs regarding how ResLife communicates with their staff.

“I think RAs feel very ignored and disrespected by ResLife administration,” they said. “I think we feel like they don’t care about us at all, that we’re kind of just bodies in the buildings. They know that they’ll be able to find another one, so I don’t really think there’s an incentive to kind of keep people on and give them a reason to do it (the job).” 

Peter Wolff, FCRH ’23, a senior RA in Martyr’s Court and an organizer for the FRH RA union, oversees the staff of RAs in the two residence halls that make up Martyr’s Court: LaLande/Goupil and Jogues. Wolff was also one of the RAs who presented the papers to the Office of the President on Feb. 1 detailing the RAs’ plan to unionize. 

Both Wolff and the anonymous RA recalled a notice from Charles Clency, assistant dean of students and director of ResLife at Rose Hill, during the spring training session pertaining to RAs speaking to the press about matters that concern ResLife or their positions as RAs. His speech came after an article written by Sam Minear, a FRH RA and a features editor at The Fordham Ram was published detailing student reactions to the university’s standing on certain political issues. 

Wolff and the anonymous RA noted that Clency made it explicitly clear that RAs are not supposed to speak on the record about any issues concerning ResLife. On this issue, Wolff noted that a shared feeling among some FRH RAs is fear of retaliation.

These issues included commentary on Chris Rogers, dean of students at Rose Hill, and student perspectives on the university’s stances on issues such as abortion and the provision of contraceptives. 

According to The Ram, University President Tania Tetlow, J.D., spoke to RAs and ResLife in August and said that the distribution of contraceptives will likely remain unchanged due to Fordham’s Catholic alumni and donors. According to the anonymous RA, following the publication of the article, the complaint was passed down to Clency. 

Wolff and the anonymous RA noted that Clency made it explicitly clear that RAs are not supposed to speak on the record about any issues concerning ResLife. On this issue, Wolff noted that a shared feeling among some FRH RAs is fear of retaliation.

Wolff added that Clency framed his notice using the example that RAs would not “critique your boss” and that RAs should not speak, write or publish about any matters pertaining to their position. 

“You can publish things and use your voice as a student, but not as an RA,” Wolff said, recalling Clency’s message. “But I am an RA, and I have been an RA for three years, and the way I interact with students is as an RA. I have a lot of experience as an RA that I think I should have the right to share.” 

Clency has not responded to The Observer’s request for comment. 

Rose Hill RAs Reflect on Their Jobs

Similar to the anonymous RA, Wolff shared that one of the main reasons the RAs are unionizing is for “respect.” He explained that there have been several instances where it has been obvious that ResLife and members of the administration have placed RAs in challenging and high-stress situations and said that RAs are not receiving adequate support in certain situations. 

Wolff noted that he is unable to provide specific details of a situation because of his position as an RA but mentioned a case in which he had to report an instance of discrimination in his building but lacked resources and responses from ResLife. 

“They’re putting us in the situation where we are forced to talk to students about this very blatant situation of discrimination, but they’re not giving us the resources,” he said. “They’re not giving us the support to handle the students who have been affected by this.” 

“We’ve been trying to find a handbook every single time they tell us that something we do is against the handbook.” Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan, FCRH ’24

In addition to communication, Wolff also noted professionalism as another demand made by the RA union to ResLife. 

“I think the bigger thing that frustrates me about communication is it’s always one way,” he said. “Anytime you try to go in and talk to them about something, it almost feels like they’re trying to talk to you like a child, almost, and there’s no desire to listen to what you have to say.”

Regarding communication, Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan, FCRH ’24 and another RA in Martyr’s Court, noted that she was never given a handbook that outlined her responsibilities and the rules that come with accepting her position as an RA. Chandra Sekharan added that she knows of another RA who was hired later than her and received an outdated handbook.

“We’ve been trying to find a handbook every single time they tell us that something we do is against the handbook,” she said. 

Chandra Sekharan added that if ResLife does provide RAs with a handbook, it is a copy of the 2020 edition that has dates from 2016. On a similar note, Wolff also mentioned that the outdated handbooks include errors in the positions of the listed contacts as well as incorrect phone numbers. 

She explained that job benefits that come with being an RA are applied directly toward an RA’s financial aid, which impacts the amount of need-based aid they receive.

The anonymous RA expressed that having a local union representing the FRH RAs makes them feel more secure. Wolff echoed this sentiment and shared that the union has been able to clarify to the FRH RAs what some of their rights are, including not being fired for unionizing.

The anonymous RA shared that events that transpired in the preceding months motivated them to consider forming a union. They believe that a representative will improve retention and job satisfaction amongst RAs. 

The petition posted by the FRH RA union also mentioned the effects the “RA Award” has on their financial aid. Wolff and Chandra Sekharan both spoke on the perks that they receive as RAs, which include a meal plan if they do not live in an apartment-style dorm or a meal check if they do live in an apartment-style dorm, housing free of charge, and an additional award that is added to their financial aid. 

According to Chandra Sekharan, salary compensation has been a topic that arose in her conversations with other RAs. She explained that job benefits that come with being an RA are applied directly toward an RA’s financial aid, which impacts the amount of need-based aid they receive. 

In the letter underneath the petition, Chandra Sekharan shared that she is aware of RAs who have received “little to no compensation for working because they lost most of their aid.”

Wolff emphasized that although the Rose Hill RAs are fighting for their rights, they are not against ResLife or the university. He shared that each organization has the same goals in mind: to improve the experience of being an RA and update the existing practices.

According to Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications and special adviser to the president, the university received the RA petition and intends on responding this week. He declined to comment further.

Wolff, Chandra Sekharan and the anonymous RA all said that they love their positions as FRH RAs but believe that they need to be compensated for the amount of work they do.

Wolff emphasized that although the Rose Hill RAs are fighting for their rights, they are not against ResLife or the university. He shared that each organization has the same goals in mind: to improve the experience of being an RA and update the existing practices.

“Through improving the RA experience, we’re improving policies, procedures and situations within residential life that we’ve been dealing with and that we think will get better by everything that can come out of forming this union,” he said. 

The anonymous RA described the job as “wonderful” and listed the programming, the staff, their fellow RAs and their residents as examples of aspects that they enjoy. Despite this, they noted that they have had “so many negative encounters with the ResLife administration” that it was necessary to form a union. 

“I have some people who want to be an RA and love being an RA, and so they’re willing to do this job for practically free, but they shouldn’t have to.” Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan, FCRH ’24

Chandra Sekharan echoed this sentiment and noted that although she and her fellow RAs love their positions, they should be appropriately compensated. 

“I have some people who want to be an RA and love being an RA, and so they’re willing to do this job for practically free, but they shouldn’t have to,” she said. “And that is the key here, is that no one should be doing a job for no compensation.”

FRH RAs Comment on Including LC RAs

Wolff, Chandra Sekharan and the anonymous RA all noted that the union is specific to Rose Hill RAs. Wolff shared that RAs from Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) have reached out to the union following the announcement, because the two campuses operate under different ResLife offices. 

“It is the same university, but it’s a very different residential life,” Wolff said. “And I think it’s very, very important that we keep the movement separate.”

Chandra Sekharan shared that she believed it was not plausible for the Rose Hill RAs to work with the FLC RAs because it was difficult to gauge who would be interested in forming a union. She added that having the LC RAs join the union was a factor of consideration that was always on the mind of the union’s student organizers. 

The FRH RA union gave Tetlow until the end of business day on Feb. 7 to recognize their union. The president did not recognize their union and, in response, the FRH RA union posted on their Instagram that they would now file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board to win and gain recognition.

“They should feel free to reach out,” she said. “Obviously we’ve got their back. All the other unions clearly have our back too.”

Union Calls on University 

Following their announcement establishing the union, the Fordham RAs advertised a “solidarity rally” held on Feb. 3 to “celebrate FRH Resident Assistants and show support.” The rally took place in Keating First and included speakers from the Fordham Graduate Student Workers union, Fordham Faculty United, and RAs from Barnard College who came to speak about their own union. 

Wolff and Chandra Sekharan were among the FRH RAs to speak at the rally and noted the importance of the union to them as well as their hopes of establishing better communication and gaining compensation. 

The FRH RA union gave Tetlow until the end of business day on Feb. 7 to recognize their union. The president did not recognize their union and, in response, the FRH RA union posted on their Instagram that they would now file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board to win and gain recognition. 

“Once we vote for the union, the school legally has to recognize us,” Wolff said.