Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania and United RAs at Penn are uniting efforts to push for worker's rights.
Credit: Sydney CurranCampus labor organizations say they are gearing up to fight back against continuous pushback from Penn administration this semester.
Two Penn unions — Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania and United RAs at Penn — are intensifying their efforts to advocate for workers' rights. After negotiating with the University to establish themselves as unions, the groups say they are now combatting challenges from Penn administration, ranging from contract delays to punitive disciplinary practices.
A Jan. 14 statement from the Provost's office wrote that "progress was made with a tentative agreement reached on Health and Safety, and discussions advanced on Training and Employment Files. Negotiations will reconvene on January 29, 2025."
Since October 2024, GET-UP has been negotiating its first contract with Penn. The union is advocating for better compensation, expanded benefits, and comprehensive protections for its members.
GET-UP representative Mary Elizabeth Talian — who is a current PhD student at Penn’s Graduate School of Education — alleged that “[Penn administration] has been needlessly delaying their response to [GET-UP’s] proposals.”
One of the most contentious moments for GET-UP's recent organizing, Talian said, occurred when the administration “redlined out every single line” of the seven-page proposal seeking protections against discrimination based on pregnancy, caste, and formerly incarcerated status — all categories not covered by current University policy — and replaced it with a link to Penn’s existing policy.
Despite the resistance, GET-UP has submitted 24 proposed articles and reached tentative agreements on three, according to Talian.
“We have the power of our union behind us to push for improved compensation, benefits, and protections,” Talian said.
One of GET-UP’s priorities has been pursuing protections for international graduate student workers, Talian highlighted. With the incoming presidential administration, she said this priority is further emphasized as these students face increased risks.
“We definitely see the election of Donald Trump as posing a serious challenge to all workers, not just us as graduate workers, but unlike in the first presidency, we now have one another to face this challenge together as a union,” Talian said. “It’s been an issue that we’ve been able to organize around and bring international grad student workers’ voices to the table.”
GET-UP is continuing to work on a contract that will protect international grad students in the upcoming administration according to Talian.
United RAs at Penn secured a contract last year, but members have reported retaliation through heightened disciplinary measures.
Scott Williams, a Penn alum who works with RA unions at 11 schools including Penn, Georgetown, Temple, and Drexel, said that “[Penn] has had nearly 70 people disciplined since August.” This number is more than all other 11 colleges combined, Williams alleged.
Williams detailed instances of “really unfortunate,” “inflexible,” and “outrageous” disciplinary actions, including instances where residential advisors were being placed on probation for attending their own wedding.
One RA, DJ Graves, cited has personal experience with Penn's disciplinary action. Graves’ grandfather was in the hospital in October, he said, so he communicated to his house director that he would have to miss a few meetings. As a result, Graves said, he is now on probation and “one more offense” could lead to him being “terminated.”
“When these situations arise, I’m just kind of forced to take off, and then it kind of leaves me with nothing,” Graves said.
Penn’s disciplinary process for RAs typically follows a clear progression: oral warning, written warning, probation, and termination. However, the union alleged that the administration skipped steps and combined unrelated incidents to justify harsher penalties.
United RAs at Penn has mobilized over 100 organizers to sign a petition to deliver at a meeting with administrators. They are demanding a review of disciplinary procedures and clearer guidelines to prevent arbitrary penalties.
“This is the first group of student workers to have a contract at Penn, and what we’re seeing is the university’s continued anti-union posture,” Williams said.
GET-UP echoed similar concerns, pointing out the administration’s slow responses to bargaining proposals. Both unions emphasized the importance of collective action in advancing their causes.
As negotiations and organizing efforts continue, both groups remain steadfast in their demands for fairness.
“We are coming together to fight for our rights and ensure that Penn respects us as workers,” Talian said.
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