Unionization has been a pressing topic at Fordham University, with various groups of workers organizing for better pay, benefits and working conditions. From Fordham Faculty United (FFU), to the Fordham Graduate Student Workers (FGSW), to the recent emergence of the Fordham Rose Hill Resident Assistant (RA) union, university workers have been standing up and demanding change.

RAs at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus announced their intention to unionize on Feb. 1, citing complaints from RAs of alleged mistreatment by the Rose Hill Office of Residential Life and calling for better compensation, communication and respect. RAs posted a petition online and held a rally, and when the university failed to recognize their efforts, they indicated that they would be filing for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). If the majority of RAs vote in favor of unionization, the university is legally required to recognize the union. 

The Residential Life staff is vital to the wellbeing of students living on campus. They provide support during incoming students’ initial adjustment to living in campus dorms and are available to students 24/7 the first week of classes. All year (including holidays), they are on on-duty rotation and are responsible for office coverage, rounds, phone calls and guest passes, among other tasks. These students report emergencies, work with campus security, monitor facilities, conduct room inspections, perform basic maintenance and cleaning duties, plan and execute at least six programs per semester, moderate resident disputes, and maintain relationships with residential faculty. Needless to say, RAs do a lot to keep Fordham operating.

These members of our community play a crucial role at the university through teaching, tutoring, performing administrative tasks and supporting faculty members, and their labor concerns also deserve our support.

The RA union comes at a time of increased labor organization across not only the university but also the country. In addition to FFU’s efforts to negotiate with the administration for better health benefits and higher pay, which nearly culminated in a faculty strike, graduate student workers have also been organizing for living wages, better health insurance and better grievance procedures. FGSW, which previously voted to be represented by the Communication Workers of America (CWA) in April 2022, renewed its efforts due to concerns exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including unfair pay compared to students’ work hours. 

Despite FGSW’s support for and involvement with FFU, the union has not received the same level of attention or support from the university community as other university unions. These members of our community play a crucial role at the university through teaching, tutoring, performing administrative tasks and supporting faculty members, and their labor concerns also deserve our support.

The university’s Jesuit mission calls on all community members to dismantle unjust systems. The Observer editorial board commends the unionization efforts of the Rose Hill RAs, as well as workers across the university community, and we call on the university to swiftly and equitably address labor concerns. As with the Rose Hill RAs, The Observer would support RAs at our home campus, Lincoln Center, should they decide to organize into a union — a right of every worker, both in response to any current mistreatment and potential mistreatment in the future.

Fordham students have an opportunity to stand in solidarity with our peers, professors and workers and demand change from the institutions to which we belong.

We call on the student body to recognize the direct impact of labor concerns on the university’s day-to-day functions and thus the urgency of taking action. An FFU strike would have seen a significant number of professors indefinitely suspending classes. Graduate student workers cannot perform essential responsibilities without fair pay and working conditions. RAs cannot effectively maintain security and contentment for students without compensation for their crucial work. 

Fordham students have an opportunity to stand in solidarity with our peers, professors and workers and demand change from the institutions to which we belong. The Observer believes it is our duty to vocally support the efforts of our RAs at Fordham, because unions succeed when they receive support from their community.