On Wednesday, Feb. 12, in a culmination of negotiations that began in August of 2024 and have been ongoing on a monthly basis since, the Bucknell Residential Advisors (RAs) voted in favor of a new contract. Of the forty-two RAs virtually present at the ratification session, all voted to adopt the contract, which had seen amendments as agreed upon between Bucknell and the RA Union as recently as Jan. 28; over a dozen additional RAs emailed in their votes to the affirmative. Bucknell has 110 RAs on staff, but to ratify the new contract, a majority “yes” vote was only necessary from those present at the ratification session itself.
Bucknell’s RAs voted to join the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OEPIU) Local 153 on April 4 of last year, which the RA Bargaining Committee followed-up with a survey of membership about their priorities going into the bargaining process and developing an initial proposal to present to Bucknell from there. The newly ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement covers areas including management rights, nondiscrimination, discipline and grievances, health and safety, work schedules and staffing ratios.
A large priority for RAs going into bargaining was compensation, with RAs previously receiving a credit for the full value of their housing, a $100 stipend per semester, a free parking pass, and 10% off at Barnes and Noble. As a result of the new contract, RAs will receive a biweekly payment totaling $800 by the end of each semester applied as payroll so as to not affect financial aid qualifications or packages, with a $40 union due automatically deducted each month. Additionally, RAs will maintain their housing credit and receive a credit the value of 20% of the most expensive meal plan towards a given RA’s meal plan selection, also still receiving the parking pass and Barnes and Noble discount.
Increased job security is an another agreement reached in this new contract— RAs are now guaranteed Just Cause Protection. Additional items include Medical Amnesty for RAs: RAs are not subject to termination for alcohol or drug violations if seeking medical assistance and not creating serious risk of harm, automatic reappointment for any RA with a satisfactory job record, more input in housing placement, agreed upon RA:Student ratios and protections against discrimination, for fair and free speech in the workplace and for safe working conditions.
Bryce Merry ’25, who has been moving negotiations forward and working closely with OPEIU Local 153 throughout the bargaining process, is satisfied with the newly ratified contract. “Bargaining has been both a relatively short and relatively long process,” he reflects, “and I’m happy to have completed it before graduating.” Though all of the progress made feels like a victory to him, he is “personally really pleased about the better job protections,” which range from “a stronger reappointment process, to medical amnesty for RAs and their friends. To have it all in writing and to know that OPEIU Local 153 is ready and willing to help us at any given moment is worth all the work.”
Merry’s coworker and fellow bargaining committee member John Klopcic ’25 has been an RA in Vedder for two years in a row now. At the conclusion of negotiations and the ratification of the new RA contract, he finds himself “just [feeling] happy that no future RA here [will] ever have to get stuck in an unwanted placement for two years ever again.”
With an administration in the White House that is not sympathetic towards unions and labor demands, the RA bargaining committee is largely pleased to have reached a comprehensive agreement with the University at this time. The contract is set for the next two years, at the end of which RAs and Bucknell will bargain new terms.
