This past week, when the National Labor Relations Board ruled that University at Buffalo research assistants could be eligible to join under their labor laws, it marked a solid victory for every party involved.
In the past, research assistants had not been allowed to join unions because their service was done under the Research Foundation, a private agency. However, the NLRB ruled that since it was a part of SUNY, a public institution, all their workers could join the Graduate Student Employees Union, which currently covers teaching assistants and graduate assistants.
At a future date, current research assistants will be voting to decide whether to join the union. They should accept this offer, as it will not only benefit their current status, but also make life easier for future research assistants. Since there is such high turnover of research assistants, it is necessary to have organizational support and organizational memory to give those short-term employees a buffer between themselves and their employers.
The two main issues in the union battle appear to be payroll and workable hours, both of which would then be able to be negotiated collectively. While the basis of research assistance is long hours spent in laboratories, it is important that a balance be achieved so there is no abuse of power toward assistants. Standardizing the number of hours worked per research assistant will also help ensure that the assistants are being compensated equally and fairly for the work they do.
As far as payroll goes, the research assistants will not only be eligible for higher wages, but their collective bargaining will help them negotiate various health coverage programs. The prospect of those benefits should be enough to sway many research assistants to voting in favor of the union.
One concern research assistants may have is whether collective bargaining for payroll will disallow excellent assistants to gain higher wages than average assistants. While they may lose a few dollars, however, their skill and motivation will be rewarded by recognition in the future, as hard work will always be welcome, even if there is not immediate extravagance in wage form.
If the research assistants end up joining the unions, they will have to pay union dues, which is a small price to pay for the services they are being offered. Once this group of assistants become involved with the labor community, they will be taking part in a strong Buffalo tradition that has fostered union groups and encouraged organization since the beginning of this blue collar town.
Now that the traditional union labels are being applied to more technical workers - high-tech research assistants - this is a great step for both sides. The NLRB will modernize, while the research assistants have the chance to reap benefits with few pitfalls. While the school may end up lamenting the fact that it must pay more money, administrators should see this as an opportunity to foster the great minds that will lead the school into the future.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
