Penn State faculty union organizers say they’ve signed an agreement with the university on the process for a vote on unionization, with a vote expected to happen this semester using mail-in ballots.
Penn State faculty looking to unionize filed the needed paperwork and signatures with the state Labor Relations Board in December.
The Penn State Faculty Alliance is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union Local 668. They’ve pointed to compensation, job security and the need for more transparency from the administration as some of the reasons behind the unionization effort.
The university has pointed to potential negative effects of unionizing, including possibly more bureaucracy, less flexibility for faculty and the possibility of hurting research funding.
According to the university, the union would cover more than 5,000 faculty members.
