Penn State graduate assistants’ unionizing efforts headed to election

An effort to organize several thousand graduate assistants at Penn State University appears headed for an April election, now that the university and student organizers have tentatively agreed on campus dates.

The announcement comes three weeks after the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled that those students are employees and thus are eligible to organize.

The campaign started nearly three years ago. It is being followed closely at the University of Pittsburgh, where graduate teaching and research assistants are seeking a union election of their own in hopes of affiliating with the United Steelworkers.

The Coalition of Graduate Employees at Penn State said the election dates are April 10-13 at the main University Park campus; April 16 at Hershey Medical; and April 17 at Penn State Harrisburg.

“We are thrilled to finally have a vote,” Jerome Clarke, coalition copresident, said in a statement Thursday. “This has been years in the making, and we’re looking forward to voting for our union.”

The state labor board must certify the dates agreed to by the parties and officially order the election, but the schedule is not expected to change, said Katie Warczak, a second-year master’s degree student in English who is another spokeswoman for the coalition.

Penn State has said all graduate students on graduate assistantships or traineeships will be eligible to vote in the election, but the exact number that encompasses was not available Friday from Reidar Jensen, a university spokesman.

“All eligible graduate student voters are encouraged to make their voices heard when the election is held,” Penn State said in a statement. “We continue to encourage graduate students to become informed and consider all points of view as they formulate their own opinions regarding graduate student unionization.”

The university Friday posted to its website a notice for a March 13 town hall on the subject that will be hosted by administrators.

Student organizers filed their petition seeking an election in February 2017. Penn State challenged the bid, but the labor board ruled in the students’ favor in early February after hearing the case.

The election will be decided by a simple majority of those who vote, according to university officials.