We are UAW Local 5124

Three weeks ago, Penn Grad Workers ratified a transformative first contract. And last week, Grad Workers chartered a local union: we are GETUP-UAW Local 5124. Our local number celebrates May Day—International Workers’ Day—and May 1, 2024, when Penn Grad Workers won the largest private sector union election in Philadelphia for more than half a century.

It’s now time for Grad Workers to ensure that we can enforce our contract and negotiate another great one in two years. The first step is for all of us to sign up as dues-paying union members. If you haven’t done so already, sign up to become a union member here.

Grad Workers won a transformative first contract because we have had high participation every step of the way. Membership is no exception. Penn finally came to a fair agreement because they knew that thousands of us had voted to authorize a strike and we were prepared to strike if necessary. They will respect our union contract when they know that thousands of us are proud union members.

Our union is our membership. Members run for union office and vote in union elections to set organizing priorities. And our local union will be funded by members’ dues. To keep our union strong, we need experienced staff, legal advice, communication and data infrastructure, and other resources to support organizing. For the past several years, all of this has been paid for by other UAW members across the country, from auto plants in Detroit to research labs at Berkeley. Now that Grad Workers have won a 15 – 21% raise, it’s time to set aside a small portion of that raise — 1.44% of our gross pay — and take responsibility for building our local union.

If you have not done so already, sign up to become a union member today. If you have more questions about membership, you can check out this FAQ page.