Dear Student,

We hope your summer was productive and that you are as excited as we are to begin the new academic year.

As you may know, certain segments of our campus workforce have elected to unionize. That process begins when there is a decision by a specific group to have union representation. At that point, a bargaining unit is formed to negotiate a first contract, called a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). CBAs typically run three to five years, after which renewal discussions are held.

In all our collective bargaining relationships, our goal is to support our mission and to follow a set of principles, including providing quality learning and research opportunities; ensuring a safe and respectful work environment; individual and institutional accountability; efficiency; and flexibility. We also seek to achieve equity among various groups of similarly situated employees.

Our collective bargaining activities must allow us to responsibly steward the University’s resources while also sustaining our commitments, such as providing financial aid for students; maintaining safe and sustainable buildings; and supporting a diverse community. For more on the University’s guiding principles and approach to working with unionized employees, please visit go.tufts.edu/laborrelations.

Union negotiations are quite common at Tufts. However, this fall we have an unusually high number of them taking place simultaneously and wish to share the following updates with you.

Dining Employees

This week, UNITE-HERE Local 26, the union that represents our dining employees, ratified an agreement to provide Tufts dining workers with competitive compensation and benefits. We look forward to continuing a productive and respectful relationship with the union and our dining employees. 

Resident Assistants

Earlier this spring, the Residential Assistants (RAs) elected to form a union with OPEIU Local 153. We have been actively engaged in negotiating their first contract and are optimistic that we will come to an agreement. However, first-time contracts often take up to a year to negotiate. The university offered to meet the RAs at 11 a.m. this morning and the union accepted.

SMFA Part-Time Lecturers

SEIU Local 509 represents the SMFA part-time lecturers (PTLs) with regard to their compensation and terms and conditions of employment. All PTLs at Tufts School of Arts and Sciences (including SMFA PTLs) are unionized and governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which was negotiated and ratified last year. That agreement runs through 2027. This spring, by agreement with the Union, the CBA was reopened solely on the terms and conditions of compensation for SMFA faculty. These negotiations are active and ongoing, and we are now working with a federal mediator to reach an amicable agreement and resolution on all unresolved issues. More information is available at our labor relations website.

SMFA Professors of Practice

In spring 2023, SMFA Professors of the Practice voted to unionize and are now represented by SEIU Local 509. Negotiations for the first Collective Bargaining Agreement will begin this academic year.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences PhD Students

Doctoral students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are represented by SEIU Local 509. Their first CBA was valid from 2018 to June 2023, and the next five-year agreement is currently under negotiation, with the next bargaining session scheduled for the second week of September.

As we continue our negotiations with each of these bargaining units, the units may conduct various communications strategies to promote their positions. This is an expected and acceptable part of the process.

We anticipate everyone involved will respect our community values and one another’s right to enjoy the new semester without disruption. While we support the units’ engagement with our campus, any actions or activities that create a hostile campus environment, endanger public safety, or violate our Student Code of Conduct will be addressed by the appropriate members of our staff.

We will keep you informed as negotiations progress.

James M. Glaser
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Political Science

Kyongbum Lee
Dean of the School of Engineering
Karol Family Professor
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Bárbara M. Brizuela
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences
Professor of Education

Scheri Fultineer
Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Tufts
Professor of the Practice

Camille Lizarríbar, JD, PhD
Dean of Students and Chief Student Life Officer for AS&E