Catherwood LibraryILR School

Student workers at Berea College, a private liberal arts college in Kentucky, are seeking union representation and have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board. The student workers are organizing with the Communications Workers of America union, and if union organization efforts succeed the union will be named the United Student Workers of Berea-CWA. The college is a work college that requires students to work on the college campus as a part of the curriculum. Workers are looking to unionize for various reasons, such as higher wages that allow students to afford necessary goods and services, and have financial security after they graduate from Berea College. Student employees are also seeking the implementation of a formal process to handle issues in the workplace, training programs, opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills, and other various accommodations.