Emerson College officials announced Thursday that they will not recognize the Emerson Union for Resident Assistants as a union, despite more than 85 percent of members voting in support of its formation.
“As a matter of principle for this request and any other requests for new union recognition, Emerson College will seek a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) secret ballot election, allowing resident assistants to indicate their position on union representation by casting their vote with the NLRB,” the college said in a statement posted on Emerson Today.
The college did not provide additional information to the Beacon and instead referred the Beacon to the statement posted on Emerson Today.
The NLRB is a federal agency that is responsible for conducting union elections protecting the collective bargaining rights of employers and unions, according to the college’s statement. The vote allows all affected workers to express their views on union representation through a secret ballot.
“Emerson respects the right of our workers to organize and seek union representation, and we will abide by all laws and requirements applicable to this process,” the statement read. “Whatever the outcome of this election, Emerson College will continue to support our Resident Assistants in their efforts to build community and support our students and campus.”
The announcement came three days after more than 100 students marched to the Office of Housing and Residential Education and the office of President Jay M. Bernhardt to deliver a letter requesting voluntary recognition.
“This decision is a betrayal of Emerson’s core values,” EURA said in an Instagram post. “President Bernhardt’s decision exemplifies Emerson College’s lack of commitment to serving the needs of its student body.”
EURA did not immediately provide the Beacon a comment upon request.
More than 2,500 letters of support have been written through a petition that was shared on Monday.
EURA will be holding a demonstration of solidarity at noon tomorrow at the Boylston Green Line T stop across from the Little Building.
“Once again, our concerns have been dismissed,” EURA said in the post. “We are disappointed, but sadly not surprised by the president’s decision—though we are not discouraged.”
