Admin refuses to guarantee safety from harassment

At yesterday’s bargaining session, Penn admin brought five counterproposals: Travel, Discipline and Dismissal, Management and Academic Rights, Union Rights, and Prohibition Against Discrimination and Harassment. Additionally, admin introduced a new proposal outlining a Probationary Period for grad workers. Under this article, Penn grad workers would not be covered by our contract for the first 45 days of their employment, meaning they could be terminated without just cause or due process. This proposal from Penn admin is unacceptable for a graduate worker contract and has no precedent at any of our peer institutions. We told Penn admin that we categorically refuse to include a probationary period in our contract.

Additionally, Penn admin gave us another response on Prohibition Against Discrimination and Harassment. Admin’s response removed all of the specific protections we are seeking to include directly in the contract and, once again, simply pointed to policies on a University website. Penn admin also questioned the necessity of immediate supportive measures for victims of workplace harassment. Penn admin thinks that if a grad worker reports harassment or abuse, Penn should be under no obligation to provide immediate accommodations to ensure that while a complaint is being investigated, the employee can continue working in a safe environment. This would mean that if you experience harassment in your workplace, you may have to stay in that situation for months while the complaint is investigated, which is both unreasonable and unacceptable.

We believe it is critical that our rights and protections be outlined in an article prohibiting discrimination and harassment. We also believe grad workers need to be able to seek immediate measures, with the University’s assistance, to continue doing their job without being subject to a hostile work environment.

Here’s a summary of yesterday’s session:

• We presented two counterproposals: Discrimination and Harassment and Travel.
• The University presented five counterproposals: Discrimination and Harassment, Management and Academic Rights, Discipline and Dismissal, Travel, and Union Rights.
• The University presented a new proposal on a Probation Period.
• We reached a Tentative Agreement on Travel.

Attend the next bargaining session on Friday, May 2nd from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM in the Sheraton University City to show admin that grad workers deserve a fair contract without any more delays! Sign up to attend and invite a coworker to come with you. Grad workers’ presence in the bargaining room has been crucial in pressuring admin to continue making movement towards a fair contract.