Categories: Updates

Picket for a fair contract tomorrow at 12pm!

Yesterday, graduate workers met with Penn admin for another bargaining session. Tomorrow at noon, grad workers are coming together at the corner 34th and Walnut Streets to show Penn admin that we’re willing to take action to win the rights, wages, and benefits we deserve. RSVP for the picket here!

In bargaining yesterday, grad workers presented an updated proposal on Support for International and Immigrant Workers which would ensure that graduate workers have fair and equitable access to practical employment training and guarantee that the University will not disclose information such as citizenship status to the federal government unless obligated to do so by law. We also exchanged proposals with admin on Discrimination and Harassment, Appointments, and Union Rights

During the session:

Graduate workers passed proposals on Support for International and Immigrant Workers and Discrimination and Harassment, and returned counters on Appointments and Union Rights
Penn admin passed proposals on Appointments and Union Rights, and returned a counter on Discrimination and Harassment

Graduate workers have momentum in the bargaining room; we have made continued progress on outstanding articles. We are moving closer to an agreement that ensures equity around gender-neutral bathrooms in our Discrimination and Harassment article. Our response on Appointments proposes that grad workers’ whose appointment is cancelled receive some compensation for that inconvenience. In our most recent Union Rights proposal, we are asking the University to make it simpler for us as a union to reach out to new hires so we can teach them about the rights that their employment contract provides.

While we have reached agreements on many articles, the University has not yet responded to any of our economic proposals, such as compensation and benefits, although we presented these proposals in June. Our economic proposals should be considered as soon as possible, because wages and benefits are extremely important to grad workers at Penn. A lot is still on the table to win, but only if we fight for it.

RSVP here now to join graduate workers across Penn to picket together tomorrow, October 8th. It’s time to secure a fair contract now!

In solidarity,

The GETUP-UAW Bargaining Committee

Clara Abbott

Emily Aunins

Peter Bailer

Oishi Bardhan

Caitlin Frazee

Katelyn Friedline

Sam Herrmann

Jimmy Kelliher

Sam Layding