PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania are preparing to strike.
The GETUP-UAW student union representing graduate student teaching and research assistants announced it will take a strike authorization vote, after it said Penn leadership didn’t take their demands seriously.
“They have yet to come to an agreement around a fair contract which improves our wages and benefits and upholds our rights,” said Sam Shivar, union organizer and Penn Ph.D. candidate.
He said that since Penn is the city’s largest employer — ranging from doctors and nurses to librarians and custodians — it’s imperative for the union to lead by example and negotiate a fair contract with Penn that provides a living wage, improved benefits and workers’ rights.
“There are between 3,000 to 4,000 graduate workers here and we do the bulk of the research and teaching that is necessary for this university to run.”
As Shivar explained, the union has tried to negotiate a new contract for more than a year with no resolution. He added Monday’s session only resulted in greater frustration.
“We’ll strike if necessary, if that’s what it takes to win the contract we deserve,” he said.
Shivar said the strike authorization vote will take place on Nov. 18 through Nov. 20 by secret ballot. A two-thirds majority is needed to authorize the stoppage.
“There wouldn’t be a Penn without graduate workers,” he said, “and we deserve fair wages and benefits and deserve our rights to be enshrined in a contract.”
KYW Newsradio reached out to Penn, but hasn’t received a response.