The University has officially recognized the Labor Organization of Community Coordinators, according to a Sunday Instagram post from the union. The union will represent more than 140 Community Coordinators — students who work as live-in residential assistants and community leaders with the Office of Residential Life.
Vice President for Campus Life Eric Estes previously wrote in a letter to organizers that the University was prepared to recognize the union pending verification of their signed union authorization cards.
The Labor Organization of Community Coordinators will become a part of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals/American Federation of Teachers Local 6516, which currently represents the Graduate Labor Organization and the Teaching Assistant Labor Organization. In March, TALO became the first undergraduate labor union on campus.
Community Coordinators announced their plans to unionize in a press release shared Sept. 29 and organizers held a rally on the Main Green in early October before delivering a letter to the office of President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 requesting voluntary recognition from the University.
“I’m happy to announce that after a third-party authorization card check, the University recognized LOCC on Monday. We are grateful for all the student groups and organizations that helped us along the way,” said Gerardo Santizo ’26 in a statement on behalf of LOCC. “We look forward to begin bargaining and win meaningful change for all CCs.”
LOCC’s successful unionization follows similar residential assistant union movements at universities such as Columbia, Tufts University and Wesleyan University.
The University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ashley Cai is a Senior Staff Writer from Los Altos, California covering the staff and student labor beat. She is a Brown-RISD Dual Degree studying computer science, IAPA and graphic design. She is also a member of The Herald's Tech Team.
Sam Levine is a University News editor from Brooklyn, New York overseeing the staff and student labor and on-campus activism beats. He is a junior concentrating in International and Public Affairs.
