WHY SHOULD I BECOME A UNION MEMBER?
Members build union power
Penn Grad Workers won our CBA because thousands of us signed public petitions, packed the bargaining room, and demonstrated on campus. Ultimately, thousands of us voted yes to authorize a strike if Penn admin failed to reach a fair agreement with us. Penn admin finally agreed to a fair contract less than an hour before our strike deadline because they knew that we were prepared to take action.
Likewise, Grad Workers are in the best place to enforce our CBA when thousands of us are union members. When membership is high, it tells Penn admin that workers know our rights, and thus it will cost Penn time and money if they violate our contract. When union membership is high in a given workplace, workers win better contracts and enforce them more effectively.
Members participate in worker-led democracy
Unions are strongest when members ourselves are leading them. Members receive email updates about union affairs at least weekly. Members may attend local union meetings, vote in union elections, and run for union office. Members also elect the top leadership of the UAW, called the International Executive Board. When we are preparing to bargain a new contract, members inform bargaining priorities by completing surveys and we elect our bargaining committee from amongst ourselves.
Members pool our resources together
When Grad Workers won our first CBA in 2026, almost all of us saw a 14–21% raise. Members set aside a small part of that raise—a one-time $10 initiation fee and 1.44% of our gross pay—as union dues to enforce our contract and prepare to negotiate another one in 2028. Dues are the way we pool our resources to counter the power of our multi-billion dollar employer. Dues make us strong and independent. Because our union is funded by members ourselves, it is ultimately accountable to the membership, not outside funders.
How are my dues spent?
- The plurality of our dues money, 37.9%, goes to our local UAW union, and Local 5124 members directly decide how this fund is spent. Our local union fund pays for staff, office space, web hosting, data processing and storage, software, printing, and more.
- We contribute 30% of our dues to our strike and defense fund. In the event of a strike, UAW members receive $550 per week in strike assistance. This helps us stay out longer, making our strike threats stronger.
- Finally, 32% of our dues go the International UAW, giving us access to organizers and legal counsel with decades of experience and political capital at the local, state, and national level.