Held on March 19 outside of Reed’s commencement ceremony, the picket will protest the college’s refusal to settle a fair contract for HAs
Portland, OR –– Reed College Housing Advisors (HAs) and their supporters will picket on campus May 19 in conjunction with the college’s commencement ceremony to protest Reed’s refusal to settle a fair first contract for HAs. The picket is sponsored by Portland Jobs with Justice, a coalition of over 100 labor, faith, community and student organizations and individual activists.
Reed HAs are bargaining for a first contract that includes additional compensation to recognize additional work the college added to their job duties. Currently HAs receive a stipend for their campus housing and meal plan, but no extra pay. In 2023, the college started requiring HAs to perform security rounds without adjusting the compensation package — driving the group of 45 HAs to form the Union of Reed College Housing Advisors (URCHA), represented by OPEIU Local 11.
“During bargaining we have made reasonable proposals for an increase in compensation, but despite increasing our duties, the college continues to not offer us anything more than we already make,” said Eli Rall, a junior at Reed College and a member of the URCHA bargaining team.
“The fact that I will be leaving Reed without a fair contract is what pushes me towards my decision to carry a picket sign at graduation.”
The HAs began bargaining for a first contract in February 2024 and have consistently asked for economic proposals that provide more pay to recognize the added job duties. OPEIU Local 11 estimates that its proposals would add less than $200,000 per year to Reed’s budget for HAs, roughly 0.1% of the institution’s $150 million budget. For over a year, Reed College administrators have continued to say that the current stipend for room and board is compensation enough.
If a contract is not settled this month, about 15 HAs will graduate without a union contract because of the college’s obstinance and delays at the negotiating table. HAs will picket at commencement to show their grievances with the college in a way Reed cannot ignore.
“We have been unionized since the beginning of my junior year, and the fact that I will be leaving Reed without a fair contract is what pushes me towards my decision to carry a picket sign at graduation,” said Max Costigan, a senior at Reed College and a member of the URCHA bargaining team. “While I wish that I could celebrate commencement with a fair contract, the reality is that we don’t yet have one and I do not feel the college will listen to any other action. The picket sign that I will be carrying across the stage is for any HA that comes after me that continues the work towards a first contract.”
The picket will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 19 near the college’s Great Lawn on the south side of campus. Reed alumni, community supporters and students are welcome to join the picket line, as some HAs may be unable to attend due to the college’s lax approach to security and protections for international students and students of color in the current political climate.
“A lot of the concerns our international students and BIPOC students hold is that we will be punished or harmed for speaking out, most obviously and directly by the government through ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” said XiXi Dukes, a BIPOC Reed HA. “Very quickly, a discussion that has become about fair pay evolves into an existential threat for us. That is not fair, and my most genuine ask is to have people join us in solidarity and show out on behalf of those of us who are afraid to attend ourselves.”
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About OPEIU Local 11
OPEIU Local 11 represents nearly 1,800 employees across five states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. OPEIU Local 11 ’s members work in many settings, including local governments, mental health care facilities, nonprofits, and college campuses. Through OPEIU Local 11, employees have a voice on the job and an avenue to equality, fair treatment and economic security. Learn more online at OPEIU11.org.
About URCHA
URCHA, or the Union of Reed College Housing Advisors, is OPEIU Local 11’s unit of 45 HAs at Reed. The HAs are the frontline of helping ensure student success at Reed. They help, counsel, and support hundreds of students every academic year. They voted overwhelmingly to unionize with OPEIU Local 11 in 2023.