Penn Libraries staff officially unionizes after months-long delay in election vote count

A group of Penn Libraries staff members has officially voted to unionize. 

The vote passed by a 40-27 margin, and roughly 90 library staff members — a group known as Penn Libraries United — will join the union. The final count was certified by the National Labor Relations Board on Oct. 23. The union will join the existing American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees District Council 47 Local 590, a local branch of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Members of the PLU Organizing Committee wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that they are "excited for the next chapter of Local 590 and the Penn Libraries," adding that they would focus on seeking better pay and working conditions at Penn. 

The election took place in August, but final results were delayed due to issues with mail-in ballot counting. The results of the vote come following successful negotiations between PLU and the University in July and an official election on Aug. 8. 

Several Penn librarians expressed their support for the union and hope for what the organization can accomplish in the coming years in a statement to the DP. 

Social Sciences Librarian Sam Kirk communicated their frustration with existing, stringent structures from promotions and career advancement and affirmed that unions provide beneficial collective bargaining opportunities.

“There are centrally-controlled systems in place which govern advancement and retention policies which I've seen frustrate library colleagues, managers, and administrators alike,” Kirk wrote. “Collective power is a real way to make these changes, and I realized that joining the union effort would mean ultimately helping shape an environment supportive of my co-workers' needs.”

Other librarians noted that they were motivated to unionize by others leaving the library and observing a lack of promotion opportunities for colleagues.

Kirk wrote to the DP that the union’s first step would be to form a bargaining committee to negotiate with the University directly. The organization has begun collecting bargaining priorities from union-eligible staff already.

Middle East Studies Librarian Heather Hughes stated that unionization would benefit services provided by Penn Libraries.

"Since union membership tends to decrease turnover, I think it’s likely that it will have a positive impact, and also provide more opportunities for library staff to invest in the University community," she wrote. 

Librarian for Education Joanna Thompson affirmed that the union contract is likely to help with recruiting future employees, as prospective librarians will be better able to review protections and career advancement clauses in contracts before signing contracts to work with the University.

“Even a small group of workers can make a big change together, for themselves, their colleagues, and the wider community,” she wrote.

2013 Engineering graduate and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) expressed his support for the union agreement in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, emphasizing the continued growth of union involvement at Penn.

“Huge congrats to @pennlibunited on officially winning their union election! More than 5,000 Penn employees have joined a union in the last 3 years and I'm fired up to see our movement continue to grow,” Krajewski wrote. 

The Penn Libraries vote follows the unionization of Penn graduate student workers, who recently began bargaining for a contract with the University, and of Penn Medicine residents and fellows, who agreed on a contract in September. This contract guaranteed pay increases of 24% to 28% and an increase in parental leave.

PLU members hope the union will address a transparent promotion system with consistent salary ranges, greater protections for employees on short-term contracts, and opportunities for such positions to be converted into longer-term or permanent roles.