We’re Voting Yes for a Better Penn!
Election Information:
Date: Wednesday, May 1 & Thursday, May 2, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bodek Lounge in Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St, Philadelphia PA
Voting “yes” to form a union will allow us, as Penn graduate student workers, to collectively bargain with Penn management for the first time. With a union:
- The Penn administration will have a legal obligation to negotiate with grad workers over pay, benefits, and workplace rights and protections
- Any improvements grad workers negotiate will be part of an enforceable contract
- Every graduate student worker will be able to participate in the bargaining process through surveys, town halls, regular bargaining updates, and more
- Every graduate student worker will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to ratify any proposed contract before it goes into effect
Our fight for unionization is supported by other members of our community, including other unions at Penn and our elected representatives who held a press conference in March to call for a free and fair election. It’s also supported by faculty at Penn, almost 250 of whom have signed a letter in support of our right to unionize. We all want a better Penn, and we know that means unions for the people who make Penn run.
As graduate student workers, we make essential contributions to the world-class teaching and research conducted at Penn. However, many of us still struggle to pay high housing and other costs in Philadelphia, lack secure rights in the workplace, and face increasing uncertainty about our futures given the precarious nature of higher education and unstable regulation of visas and work authorization for international student workers.
Right now, Penn management unilaterally decides if, when, and how to address challenges faced by graduate student workers. With collective bargaining, we can meet at the bargaining table as equals and make sure our collective voice as graduate workers is heard. With strong participation and support from the entire community of Penn graduate student workers, we can bargain a union contract that better meets our needs. Vote UNION YES to make sure your voice is heard and your needs are met!
