Library Workers Vote To Unionize At University Of Chicago

HYDE PARK, IL — Student library employees at the University of Chicago voted to unionize last week, taking a step toward becoming the first nationally recognized student union at a private university. In an election held over six days ending June 8, about 80 percent of votes cast were in favor of forming a union.

Organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 743, the Student Library Employee Union (SLEU) sought to represent about 225 student workers paid hourly wages at the University of Chicago's libraries.

The administration of the University of Chicago challenged 13 of the 93 votes cast, saying they overlapped with what it described as an "entirely separate" election petition filed on behalf of Graduate Students United by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Nonetheless, the official count at NLRB Chicago headquarters was 67-13.

“Winning today’s election brings the University of Chicago a step closer to being a democratic institution, where the administration’s priorities will reflect the needs of students and staff instead of big-name donors," said SLEU coordinator Katie McPolin, a student worker at Eckhart Library. "I’m of course thrilled about the election results, but I am especially excited for what this means for me as a student worker, where having a voice in collective bargaining will really impact my relationship with the University."

Students have complained of little notice about shift schedules, irregular hours, low wages and an opaque library bureaucracy that makes it difficult to change policies.

"Student labor makes the day-to-day functioning of this university possible, so it is imperative that student workers should have a voice in how it functions," McPolin said.

Many student library workers are compelled to take second jobs outside of the university to cover educational expenses, according to supporters of the union.

“I’m so excited about the outcome of the election because for me, the most pressing issue is fair pay. I know many students who overwork themselves due to the low pay. The overwhelming support for unionization confirms this,” said Sloan Rucker, a first-year student and hourly worker at the Joseph Regenstein Library.

"The University is reviewing the outcome, including the fact that only 30% of eligible students voted in favor of union representation," the administration said in a statement. About 5% of eligible students voted against union representation. (Roughly 26% of eligible voters voted for President Donald Trump in 2016.)

"The University deeply appreciates the contributions of students to the operation of the Library and remains committed to providing students who work in the Library with good conditions and fair pay," the statement said.

As a result of the election, the SLEU plans to negotiate with the University for a contract. It said priorities in those negotiations would be issues such as employee wages, hours and third-party legal representation in cases of Title IX, ADA and labor violations.

Top photo Mansueto and Regenstein Libraries | Credit: Barbostick (CC)