Response to SEIU Petition
Dear Skidmore Students,
Last Friday, the College received a petition from the Service Employees International
Union (SEIU) seeking to establish a union of our undergraduate students who serve
as Resident Assistants (RAs). The College is reviewing this petition and will be reaching
out to our RAs and Community Assistants (CAs) to share important information regarding
the potential unionization process.
RAs are some of our most active and visible student leaders. Our entire community
values and respects the integral role they play in supporting our residential life
program and their fellow students’ success and in helping our community be more connected,
inclusive, and supportive. For many years, the Administration has had a strong, honest,
and effective working relationship with our RAs. We’ve worked both directly with individual
RAs to resolve problems and through the Student Government Association (SGA), including
the SGA Residential Life Commission, to address broader issues and needs.
If our students wish to explore unionization, the College will respect their legal
right to do so. We honor the principle of a free and fair decision-making process
consistent with the National Labor Relations Board’s election procedures. At all times
we will be guided by our commitment to serving the best interests of our students.
After all, our RAs and CAs are first and foremost Skidmore students, and our most
fundamental responsibility is to help them receive an outstanding liberal education.
As an academic community, we value honest discussion and informed decision-making,
and we will do our best to provide our students with the information they may need,
particularly as they consider whether their best interests are served by working with
the College directly or by having an outside third party represent them in dealings
with the College.
Joining a union is a serious matter of personal choice for eligible individuals. If
the union is certified as the legal representative of our RAs and CAs, Skidmore will
certainly work constructively and bargain in good faith.
This letter will be shared with all students, staff, and faculty. If you have any
questions about this process, please feel free to reach out to me here. Additional information, including FAQs, will be posted on the Dean of Students webpage in the coming days and updated as information becomes available and questions are
received.
Respectfully,
Adrian Bautista, Ph.D.
Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs