UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In advance of the upcoming election to determine if Penn State graduate assistants and trainees wish to be represented by a union, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) issued a subpoena to the University for a list of the names, home addresses and University email addresses of eligible graduate students.
The University provided notice of this to all impacted graduate students and gave them a chance to object to the disclosure of this information. The University forwarded those objections (without identifying information) to the PLRB. The union, CGE/PSEA, took the position that there was no basis for the PLRB to hear the student objections. The PLRB has ordered the names, home addresses and University email addresses of all graduate assistants and trainees be provided to the PLRB promptly. When the University provides this list, CGE/PSEA will receive a copy from the PLRB.
Graduate students can expect to be visited or contacted by representatives from CGE/PSEA. These representatives may make visits to graduate students’ homes, both announced and unannounced, but students have the right to decline any request to meet with them at home or on campus.
Tentative election dates have been proposed, and more information and details about the election will be made available at gradfacts.psu.edu and on the Graduate School’s Facebook and Twitter channels.
All eligible voters (all graduate assistants and trainees) are encouraged to vote in the election. A simple majority of those who actually vote will determine the result for the nearly 3,800 graduate students in the bargaining unit (e.g., if only 100 vote, and the union gets 51 votes, everyone would be in the bargaining unit).
Please direct questions about graduate student unionization to gradinfo@psu.edu.