Categories: Updates

Grad workers reach tentative agreement; admin stalls on non-discrimination

During yesterday’s bargaining session:

We reached a tentative agreement on Job Expectations and Scheduling of Work.
Grad workers and admin affirmed that we are near a tentative agreement on Workers’ Compensation, pending a response from admin on a technical question.
Admin passed a packaged counterproposal that combined Management Rights and Academic Authority and Union Security.
Admin passed a counterproposal on Prohibition Against Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment.
Grad workers returned a package counterproposal on Management Rights and Academic Authority and Union Security.

Our tentative agreement on Job Expectations and Scheduling of Work stipulates that grad workers may not be compelled to work more than their appointment explicitly requires. Admin’s packaged counterproposal on Management Rights and Academic Authority states that admin maintains unilateral authority over student and academic policies, such as recruitment, academic standards, and academic appointments. Union Security outlines the procedures through which graduate workers pool our resources to support organizing and negotiations in the form of union dues.

Admin’s Union Security counterproposal made movement towards an agreeable article. Their proposal affirmed that workers who do not become members of our union must pay an “agency fee” that is comparable to the cost of union dues. With this approach, all workers pay their fair share. Since we all receive the benefits of the contract, we should all support negotiating and enforcing it. However, admin declined to impose any sort of penalty for any worker who neglects to join our union or pay their agency fee. We responded to this package by agreeing to the changes in Management and Academic Authority while addressing the shortcoming of admin’s proposal on Union Security.

Admin’s response to Prohibition Against Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment doubled down on their prerogative to change discrimination and harassment policies without grad worker input. When over 2,000 grad workers signed and delivered our petition in April, we made it clear that we will not accept an article that allows Penn to unilaterally alter policies on discrimination and harassment. During the course of our negotiations, Penn has removed gender identity as a protected category from their anti-discrimination policy. We need meaningful protections against discrimination and harassment are essential for many workers here at Penn.

As always, continued movement in the bargaining room depends on ongoing demonstrations of grad worker power. Sign up here to attend an upcoming bargaining session and bring your coworkers along! Our next bargaining session will take place on Tuesday, August 21st from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM at the Inn at Penn.

Furthermore, join your colleagues, friends, and family at a GETUP-UAW cookout at Clark Park this Sunday, August 10, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. If you have other plans this Sunday, we hope you’ll join beforehand to get fueled up or come afterwards to wind down.

In solidarity,

The GETUP-UAW Bargaining Committee

Clara Abbott

Emily Aunins

Peter Bailer

Oishi Bardhan

Kal Brown

Caitlin Frazee

Katelyn Friedline

Adina Goldstein

Sam Herrmann

Jimmy Kelliher