Barnard elected to not voluntarily recognize the Barnard Resident Assistant Union after 20 members of the union and five representatives from the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153 met with Dean Leslie Grinage, Dean Nikki Youngblood Giles, a legal assistant, and other administrators on Thursday.

The meeting comes after the RA union presented a letter asking for voluntary recognition to Barnard on Oct. 3, and gave the administration five days to respond, a timeline which Barnard did not keep according to union members. Instead, Barnard offered representatives from the union a meeting with administrators to discuss its request.

After reviewing the union’s forms, the administrators present at the meeting said that they would not voluntarily recognize the union and directed the union to file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency tasked with enforcing U.S. labor law and protecting workers’ rights to organize.

“We have asked these students to engage in a fair and democratic election process overseen by the National Labor Relations Board to ensure that all voices of the proposed unit are heard,” a Barnard spokesperson wrote in a statement to Spectator. “The College remains committed to providing an environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.”

Aditi Misra, BC ’23, one of the organizers of the RA union, said the union is currently working to establish an election date with the NLRB in November and that the length of the process will be up to the agency. Once a date is selected, the NLRB will facilitate an election for the RAs, in which each student will vote on whether or not they approve of the formation of a union.

“We could have started bargaining tomorrow because we wanted to, but now because of the college’s decision, we have to wait an indefinite amount of time,” Misra said.

If the results from the election are conclusive, an NLRB regional representative will issue a certification of the results. If the election results in conclusive support of the union, this will force the college to recognize the union, moving the union and administration into bargaining.

“I’m absolutely hoping they finish up before I graduate. I do have a feeling that that’s one of their reasons why they decided not to voluntarily recognize, they can wait out a lot of the seniors that have held a big role in this, but it’s not going to slow any of us down,” Misra said.

Delaney Wellington, BC ’23, an RA in 601 W 110th St. and an active member of the union, said she “wasn’t surprised, always disappointed” by the administration’s decision not to voluntarily recognize the union.

“I’m just a very optimistic person, so there’s always a part of me that … believes people will do the right thing,” Wellington said.

The Barnard RA Union announced its formation via Instagram on Oct. 3 after delivering a letter to Barnard President Sian Beilock earlier in the day asking for voluntary recognition. If the union had been voluntarily recognized, it would have been able to formally open negotiations almost immediately, negotiating with Barnard to address demands such as increased representation, improved working conditions, and fairer wages. The union would be only the second confirmed RA union to be formally recognized, following the recognition of the Wesleyan Union of Student Employees this past March.

The union hosted its first rally this past Friday in the Barnard quad, garnering a large turnout of supporters dressed in red and chanting slogans such as “Tick Tock, Beilock!” Supporters hoped Beilock would respond to their request for voluntary recognition in the five-day timeline the union suggested.

Barnard administration wrote in an email to members of the union following Thursday’s meeting that an election by the NLRB will allow for a “fair and democratic process” and that the college will “honor and respect” the outcome of the election.

“We must ensure that our students are given a platform to share and receive information and voice their own opinions," a Barnard spokesperson wrote.

In response to Barnard’s decision not to grant voluntary recognition, the union stated on its Instagram, “Barnard has once again proved that they do not care for their student workers, yet we will continue to fight for the labor rights we know we deserve.”

“​​Barnard upholds this idea of progressive thinking, and of caring about their students. And it’s just very clear time and time again that that’s very much an image push because they don’t do the action that requires actually fulfilling those values and messages,” Wellington said.