Maroon: Appeals Court says U of Chicago must negotiate with student library workers

In the waning days of 2019, the Chicago Maroon reported that a 7th Circuit Appeals Court judge ruled that the University of Chicago must recognize the collective bargaining efforts of student library workers.

The case ended up in the Appeals Court after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) denied U of C a hearing for its claim that student workers do not have collective bargaining rights because they are temporary workers.

The ruling is the result of an 18 month long legal battle following student workers voting to unionize under the Student Library Employees Union (SLEU) in June 2017. They are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 743.

The University of Chicago seems to be attempting to relitigate a 2016 Columbia University case where the NLRB ruled that student workers do have collective bargaining rights, a fact that both the NLRB and 7th district pointed to adding that U of C had not presented any new evidence. However, three Trump appointments on the 5 person NLRB has led other unions, including the U of C's Graduate Student Union, to withdraw certificates of recognition to prevent a ruling that would overturn the Columbia case. Currently, SLEU is undeterred and views their appeals court victory as a major step forward.