Hunter
09/30/20
A group of resident assistants at the University of Iowa are demanding hazard pay because of their increased duties involved with the coronavirus pandemic.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that an online petition was launched on September 21st, seeking additional pay for those duties, which include delivering meals to infected students, helping COVID-19 positive students move into isolation rooms, cleaning biohazardous material from dorm rooms, and enforcing the one-guest-per room policy, including when students are intoxicated and are either refusing or unable to wear masks or be socially distant.
The University has had hundreds of students cancel their housing contracts so far this semester; by last count, 711 had been released from their contracts since the opening of dorms on August 14th. Over half have indicated they plan to return to live on campus in the spring semester.
The current resident hall population of 4810 is lower than typical capacity of 6742, due to the cancellations and the elimination of quad and triple rooms.
The Gazette says although UI officials say a “small group of RAs” launched the petition drive, 123 of the 153 current Resident Assistants had signed the petition as of Tuesday.