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Leaders of Syracuse University’s Student Association have developed a bill establishing the assembly’s support of on-campus unionization efforts, SA President William Treloar announced during its Monday meeting.

The bill, titled “Supporting Student Unions,” intends to put SA’s commitment to all unionizing groups on campus into writing. The association plans to vote on the bill during its next general assembly meeting on Monday, April 22.

Throughout the meeting, Treloar emphasized the importance of the presence of student workers unions on campus, citing efforts for improving wages, working conditions and contractual benefits.

“There have been massive unionization efforts across campus recently that really started with graduate students,” Treloar said. “This effort has been taken over by several different groups of students looking for better working conditions.”

In March 2023, graduate student workers voted to recognize Syracuse Graduate Employees United as its official union in affiliation with Service Employees International Union Local 200United — which represents over 1,100 graduate students working across the university, according to an SU news release.

On March 26, SGEU ratified its first contract with SU after about seven months of negotiations. Two days later, several other SEIU-affiliated groups, such as SU’s hourly food service workers, announced their plans to form a union at a campus rally.

Treloar said SGEU has inspired other student unionization efforts, such as employees of SU’s Food Services and Libraries.

“Our message for student workers is that Student Association is here to support you in all of your efforts to fight for better wages, fighting for better working conditions, contract security and contract negotiation,” Treloar said.

Treloar said while the association cannot predict the future of unionization efforts on campus, he believes it is likely that undergraduate workers will look to build unions in the future. He said SA’s support for these efforts will be crucial as more student groups begin to unionize.

“Unionization is a very difficult process,” Treloar said. “We’re starting to see success in modern-day (student) unionization efforts across the country, that kind of momentum is going to push a lot of students here forward.”

In early March, the Dartmouth College men’s basketball team voted to organize with SEIU, making the team the first group of collegiate student-athletes in the United States to unionize. Around the same time, Boston University graduate students successfully established the BU Graduate Students Workers Union, which had similar objectives to SGEU.

“Student Association supports all current and future unionization efforts,” Treloar said. “This bill is a testament to what we are as an organization and what we hope to do for students going forward. Unionization efforts can find a friend here at Student Association.”

For the second week in a row, SA did not reach its quorum and was unable to vote on its “Supporting Student Unions” bill or another funding its “Food for Finals” initiative, SA speaker Kennedy Williams said. They will attempt to approve the bills during its April 22 meeting.

Other business:

• Treloar and SA Vice President Yasmin Nayrouz said they will meet with SU Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer John Papazoglou to discuss on-campus dining concerns. Treloar said the main issue they will bring to the meeting will be improving access to consistent late-night dining options.
• SA will host a Finance Board Town Hall in Schine 228 on April 17 from 6 to 8 p.m., SA Comptroller Dylan France said. The association is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to SA’s fiscal codes.
• Chet Guenther, project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said NYPIRG will host an event to discuss access to emergency contraceptives on campus and statewide. The meeting will run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on April 18 in Maxwell Hall room 108.

Published on April 15, 2024 at 11:50 pm

Contact Duncan: digreen@syr.edu