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WPI Resident Advisors Continue to Strike after Negotiation Impasse
Almost 2 weeks in, residential advisors of WPI continue to strike after negotiations reach impasse
WORCESTER, MASS. For almost two weeks, members of the Residential Advisor Union (RAU) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have been on strike, urging members to abandon their duties. The university, however, claims the strike has had limited participation, stating that "as of now, more than 60% of RAs remain working."
The strike, which began October 31, comes after the RAU outlined its claims of "critical flaws in WPI's proposal" in a November 4th press release.
The WPI-RAU statement says the university is insistent on splitting the Residential Advisor (RA) role into 3 positions:
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- Residential Mentor (RM)
- Community Development Mentor (CDM)
- Community Safety Mentor (CSM)
The newly defined CSM aligns with the role traditionally defined as an RA, complete with paid room and board, which the union describes as "sitting at a front desk and surveilling residents." The RM and CDM roles are described as stipend-funded roles, receiving $8,540 per academic year.
The union's press release frames this as a "compensation cut" that would "eliminate housing benefits" for about half the staff. WPI's administration counters this, stating the proposal shifts duties from "one generalist" to three specialized positions to provide more comprehensive support.
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The push for changes comes on the heels of several students taking their own lives around campus during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears that the union agrees that the roles should be modified; their impasse exists from how the roles were changed.
In response to WPI's proposal, the union suggested the creation of a committee to define the roles.
The union's statement claims the university asked them "to meet them in the middle" but was ultimately unwilling to move from its original plan. The RAU then called for a strike "to protest management's refusal to bargain in good faith." According to WPI, the university maintains it has the "right to define the operational needs of its workforce" and that negotiations are ongoing.
A note from the author. The union statement includes references of quotes from union members, however, the statements could not be verified as all names were redacted prior to release.
