The ResStaff Allied Organization (RAO), a group representing residence hall workers at the University of Michigan, has filed for a union election. The election, filed with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission on April 10, would give RAO the right to negotiate on behalf of workers on issues such as wages, benefits, and working conditions.
If the union is successful in its election bid, it would be the first union to represent residence hall workers at the University of Michigan. The university has approximately 1,200 residence hall workers who are responsible for a variety of tasks, including providing security, maintaining the buildings, and assisting students.
The RAO is seeking to unionize residence hall workers in order to improve their wages and working conditions. The group says that residence hall workers are currently paid less than other university employees and that they often work long hours without overtime pay. The RAO also says that residence hall workers are not always provided with adequate training or support.
The University of Michigan has not yet commented on the union election filing. However, the university has a history of opposing unionization efforts by its employees. In 2018, the university successfully defeated a unionization effort by its graduate student employees.
The union election is scheduled to take place on May 19. If the RAO is successful in its election bid, it would be a major victory for the labor movement at the University of Michigan.
