The United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants and the Tufts facility workers’ union, 32BJ Service Employees International Union, have begun bargaining sessions with the university, seeking higher pay and a variety of additional benefits and protections in their new contracts.
ULTRA began negotiations for its second contract on April 17, while the facility workers will start discussions on April 28. ULTRA and the Tufts bargaining team held a second bargaining meeting on April 24 at which the university presented several new proposals.
ULTRA presented various goals for negotiations after significant delays and potential changes to the RA reappointment process created confusion.
Ultimately, the only substantial change made to the position was that RAs will no longer be present in Tufts’ community houses.
Senior Geena Kumaran, the president of ULTRA, said the union is seeking continued reemployment, stipend increases, a full meal plan, MicroChill units and air conditioning.
“Instead of submitting an intent to return form, it would be an opt-out form, so you’re automatically contracted for the next year,” Kumaran said.
Kumaran added that the union could also attempt to codify language on when RA placements are announced, in addition to intent to return forms, to avoid the delays that occurred this semester.
Junior Quinn Karm, an RA in Wilson House, felt that the rehiring process was “weaponized” to scare RAs as they were preparing for bargaining and that a standardization of the rehiring process would be helpful.
Kumaran also hoped that bargaining would happen efficiently, with the union aiming to ratify a contract by the fall to ensure that any new benefits can be applied before RAs move in.
The last contract ratified between the union and ULTRA took seven months. If the new contract takes as long to negotiate, the previous contract will remain in place until a new one can be agreed upon.
Roxana Martinez-Gracias, a spokesperson for SEIU 32BJ, expressed similar desires for bargaining on behalf of facilities workers.
“We plan on prioritizing the following items for our facilities workers and groundkeepers: raising wages across the membership, so all are at a livable wage; reducing healthcare costs; establishing a training fund, including green technician training, so members can learn how to perform their roles in a more environmentally sustaining manner; and a legal fund, which would provide members with free or low-cost legal services and additional protections for our immigrant workers,” Martinez-Gracias wrote in a statement to the Daily.
Patrick Keith, an electrician and member of the facility workers’ bargaining committee, echoed Martinez-Gracias’ sentiment, emphasizing that he would like to see pay raises, given that many facility workers are struggling to make ends meet.
Keith also noted that the high cost of healthcare makes it difficult for workers to afford the cost of living.
“We would love to try to negotiate lower costs for health care,” Keith said. “Apparently, Tufts is one of the most expensive [workplaces] for employees. For health care, the portion that we pay is [roughly] 35% and most universities are around 25%.”
Keith also explained that the union is trying to create a training fund in the contract, which would be covered by Tufts for around $200 a year per facilities employee.
“With that money, the union puts together a catalog of classes that you can take for job improvement,” Keith said.
Despite the desire for a training fund to enable workers to widen their skillset, Keith emphasized that Tufts already pays for classes that facility workers take for professional development. However, a training fund could help workers take a larger variety of classes free of charge.
Meanwhile, a more robust, employer-paid legal fund could cover legal costs for misdemeanors and some felonies.
Keith also shared that the union will propose new job security measures for immigration status and injuries. “Your job is secured for a year if your immigration status changes or if you are injured, so that you can have time to recover or fix your immigration status,” Keith said.
Currently, there are no protections in place for changes in immigration status for facility workers at Tufts.
Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations, wrote in a statement to the Daily that the school is committed to thoughtful evaluation of union proposals.
“Tufts is committed to engaging in good‑faith collective bargaining with both ULTRA and SEIU 32BJ. As has been our consistent practice, Tufts will share and discuss proposals directly with each union at the bargaining table rather than through the media or public forums,” Collins wrote.
Collins added that recent large-scale capital projects, such as the construction of Pachyderm Place and new athletic facilities, would not impact monetary negotiations between unions. He noted that funding for these projects is separate from funding for wages and benefits.
The facilities union is currently distributing a petition to garner support from the Tufts community ahead of bargaining. In the meantime, Keith emphasized the union’s hope for fair wages.
“We really do care about the university. We care about the students and the professors, and we really take pride in what we do,” Keith said. “We’re just looking to get fair pay for the work that we do.”
