Complaints about Admissions Working Conditions Sparks Union Efforts among Students
by Ethan Tse ’22, Staff Writer
Several student employees of the Admissions Office have begun a campaign to unionize in response to complaints about working conditions, hours, and wages. This marks one of the first ever efforts to unionize student-held occupations, and could be poised to set a larger precedent for student labor across the country.
Eric Kopp ’22, a student employee at the Admissions Office and one of the campaign leaders, explained that a majority of the grievances stem from a lack of communication, limited opportunities for student input, and a lack of flexibility in scheduling. He noted that these were made more apparent both last semester and this past summer. Some students were asked to volunteer their time, some gave more tours than they were paid for, and some were even paid in gift cards. Kopp also mentioned various safety concerns that arose during the summer and cited accounts of students having to give tours during a heat advisory. Given this context, a group of tour guides, including Kopp, decided to pursue a campaign to unionize the tour guides at Hamilton with the hopes of bringing about higher wages, a more uniform disciplinary processes, and a more uniform hiring and advancement system within the Admissions Office.
The campaign began with an appeal to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) where 30 percent or more of the workers had to show interest in an election by signing an authorization card. With 50 percent of the workforce’s signatures, these student employees including tour guides, senior admissions fellows and organizers can form a bargaining unit that will vote on whether or not they want to become unionized. The bargaining unit needs 51 percent of the votes in favor in order for a union to pass. If the vote passes, the students will then negotiate with the school to form a contract that addresses their needs. Any member of the union will eventually have to pay dues to the union after a contract is established. It is unclear whether or not the Admissions office will be a closed shop, meaning all workers will be required to join the union. The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) are providing the students with contract forming and legal advice along with the NLRB and the Central New York Labor Council.
One of the College’s responses to the union effort was an official statement, which reads: “Hamilton is first and foremost an educational institution, with faculty and staff dedicated to supporting students in all aspects of their campus experience, including on-campus employment. While unions play vital roles in many workplace settings, the College believes that unions may not be a good fit for undergraduate student workers, whose campus jobs are often designed to be educational in nature and complement students’ career goals. The College wants our students to have all the facts in order to make an informed decision whether to be represented by a union with some 13,000 workers across a range of industries, mostly in grocery stores. We are developing a list of Frequently Asked Questions and will offer an opportunity for students in the proposed bargaining unit to meet with supervisors for more information to help them think through the issues carefully and make an individual choice” (statement shared with staff writer by Senior Director of Media Relations Vige Barrie).
Although the situation is still unfolding, its outcome could lead to major changes within student employment, both at Hamilton and at colleges around the country.
