Grad workers met with Penn admin on Monday for another bargaining session. Following grad workers’ announcement that we will be holding a strike authorization vote this month, we reached a tentative agreement on Holidays in the session – our first economic Tentative Agreement. This article guarantees graduate workers paid days off on University recognized holidays and provides that grad workers can request time off on unrecognized religious and cultural holidays without unreasonable denial.
During Monday’s session:
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Penn admin passed counterproposals on Recognition, Holidays, Vacation, Union Security, and Support for International and Immigrant Workers.
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Graduate workers passed counterproposals on Compensation, Transit and Parking, and Childcare.
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We reached a tentative agreement on Holidays.
While we were able to reach an agreement on Holidays, admin provided another poor response to our Vacation proposal. Admin moved from proposing 3 vacation days per year to proposing 4.
Additionally, admin responded to Recognition, the article specifying which grad workers are included in our bargaining unit. While admin had previously proposed excluding first and second year BGS and Biology grad workers on rotation, in their latest counter they proposed leaving these workers’ status open and resolving it through a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) petition.
Admin’s counterproposals on Union Security and Support for International and Immigrant Workers were identical to their last counterproposals.
Grad workers passed counterproposals on Compensation and Childcare that held firm on our need to make a living wage and receive expanded and guaranteed childcare grants. Announcing our strike pledge and our strike authorization vote has moved admin to pick up the pace in the bargaining room. In order to win the raises and benefits we need, it’s essential that all grad workers vote YES to authorize a strike from November 18th through 20th. If you haven’t done so already, sign a strike pledge and commit to vote yes to authorize a strike and to strike alongside our coworkers if necessary.
Our next bargaining session will take place next Wednesday, November 12th from 10:30-4:30 (Location TBD).
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
George Lin
Jancarlos Montoya
Clancy Murray
Izzy Navarro
Josh Ofili
Rosie Poku
George Porter
Caleb Scott-Joseph
Guru Shabadi
Anne-Marie Zaccarin