Letter to Resident Assistants and Community Development Assistants

February 14, 2002

As you know, the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission will conduct an election on March 5, 2002 to determine whether a majority of eligible Resident Assistants and Community Development Assistants wish to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by Local 2322 of the United Auto Workers. The election will be held in Room 1001 of the Campus Center, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

I urge you to cast your ballot, and to vote AGAINST unionization.

You may be wondering why the Chancellor would feel sufficiently concerned about this election to contact you directly and urge you to vote No. I take this step because it is my very strong belief that unionization of undergraduate students is inconsistent with education at UMass Amherst. Unionization is particularly incompatible with your position as a student leader and role model in the residence halls.

The University does not look at your activities as a "job," although we recognize that you render important service to the University and your fellow students. We look upon you as holding a position of leadership that arises from and is directly tied to your accomplishments as a student. Collective bargaining with an outside entity will, in my view, inevitably collide with core educational and administrative decisions. Among these decisions are standards for student academic performance; the administration of our student judicial system; and the formulation of campus housing policies. The University simply cannot and will not bargain with an outside union about these core decisions.

I view you as a student first and always, and believe that your service in a leadership role should not be mischaracterized as "employment" in the traditional sense. Indeed, the University feels so strongly that our state's public employee collective bargaining law is incompatible with your position that the University intends to pursue all appropriate legal and administrative steps to ensure that this unique opportunity for RAs and CDAs to enhance their educational experience is preserved.

Additionally, the University now faces a serious budget crisis and has been forced to take drastic actions, including laying off employees and raising student fees. Unionization of our undergraduate RAs and CDAs, accompanied by the inevitable demands by the United Auto Workers for increased stipends, would create serious conflicts among groups of students. Because Housing must be a financially self-sufficient unit of the University, any increased benefits for RAs and CDAs would have to be paid for by increased fees charged to your fellow students. Such an outcome would be unfortunate in an educational institution designed to meet the needs of all of our students.

Finally, it has been the case with each of our unions that members of the bargaining unit have been required to pay an agency service fee as a condition of retaining their position. In the case of RAs and CDAs, that would mean that students would be required to pay the United Auto Workers for the opportunity to serve in a student leadership position. We do not think such a requirement is appropriate in an undergraduate educational program.

The University's decision to urge you to vote against unionization was reached as a matter of principle, and was not made lightly. The University respects our unions and the employees they represent. But that does not mean that we must remain silent when we believe our students' interests are not being well served. During these next few weeks, we intend to ask hard questions about this election; we hope you do the same. Ask yourself whether the union reflects your values. Does collective bargaining fit well with your unique role in the academic life of this institution? Is portraying yourself as a worker rather than a student in your best interest?

Please participate in a vigorous discussion about the issue of unionization. I, and other university administrators, look forward to speaking with you further about the subject, and we welcome your feedback. Your decision will have a serious impact for you and students in years to come. Weigh the issues carefully. And please vote on March 5, because your voice counts.

Sincerely yours,

Marcellette G. Williams,
Chancellor