Contract ratification vote starts this Monday 2/23!

Earlier this week, the GETUP-UAW Bargaining Team reached a historic Tentative Agreement with the Penn administration. This Tentative Agreement includes raises of up to 25% over two years, a minimum stipend of $49,000 and minimum hourly wage of $25 per hour starting on April 1, 3% annual raises, improved healthcare benefits including 50% dependent premium reimbursement, an annual fund to cover visa renewal expenses for international Graduate Workers, and many more wins! You can read a summary and see the entire Tentative Agreement here.

Now, all Penn Graduate Workers will have the opportunity to vote to ratify this Agreement as our first Union contract. All Graduate Workers are eligible to participate in the ratification vote. A simple majority of those voting is needed to ratify the Tentative Agreement and allow it to take effect. The ratification vote will open on Monday, February 23rd at 9am and close on Friday, February 27th at 5pm. Voting will take place via an online, secret ballot. Graduate Workers will receive a link to vote in your email.

The GETUP-UAW Bargaining Committee has unanimously voted to endorse this tentative agreement and recommends voting YES to ratify this Agreement as our Union contract. This Agreement includes historic economic improvements and establishes new workplace rights for all Penn Graduate Workers. We believe the Agreement would not only improve our lives as Graduate Workers, but would also help make Penn a more equitable, inclusive, and competitive research and education institution.

To discuss the Tentative Agreement and answer any questions, Graduate Workers will hold three Contract Ratification Town Hall Meetings over the next 10 days. Town Hall meetings will be taking place:

• Friday 2/20 at 3-4:30pm
• Tuesday 2/24 at 5:30-7pm
• Wednesday 2/25 at 5:30-7pm

When voting to ratify our contract, Graduate Workers will also begin signing up as dues-paying Union members of GETUP-UAW. When you submit your ratification vote, you will receive a link to either sign up as a dues-paying member or pay equivalent fees for non-members. Membership dues will be 1.44% of Graduate Workers’ pay. As always, our power is in our numbers: the more of us who sign up as dues-paying members, the stronger our Union will be and the more power we will have to enforce our contract and negotiate an even stronger agreement in two years.