Unionization At Penn 4/12/2017

Brief Overview of Grad School Unions National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said that graduate students at private universities can unionization in 2016 Public universities are governed by state laws regarding unions Private universities are under federal (NLRB) laws Currently one private university is unionized (NYU) Several other universities have recently had elections: University Union Win? Cornell No (preliminary) Harvard Duke No Columbia Yes, no contract yet Yale Partial (some programs unionized, no contract yet)

Process of Unionization 1. Union collects authorization cards from 30%+ of the bargaining unit Bargaining unit is everyone the union would represent (defined by the union) 30% is the minimum required to file with the NLRB Most unions try to get at least 50%+ 2. File for election with NLRB NLRB requires at least 30% of the bargaining body Employer and NLRB can also contest bargaining body (ie, not representative, too broad, etc) 3. Election Typically 21 days after bargaining unit is agreed upon If won, union can begin negotiations

Overview of GET-UP Graduate Employees Together – University of Pennsylvania (GET-UP) is the prospective union GET-UP is partnering/receiving assistance from two outside unions American Federation of Teachers (AFT) American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) GET-UP is unilaterally defining the bargaining unit as all graduate students who do research or teach Will include PhDs and potentially Masters students GET-UP representatives have indicated that they might be open to undergrads who also TA/research GET-UP will not reveal who they exactly want to include in the bargaining group Other proposed unions typically only include TAs

Overview of Potential Bargaining Group BGS is roughly half the size of SAS (25% of all PhDs)

GET-UP Has Several Structural Concerns Pan-graduate unionization requires mechanisms to prevent one large school from dominating the union Analysis of GET-UP’s constitution reveals that there is no mechanism to ensure equal representation in several key areas Leadership and committees (Section B: The Standing Committees and Article V: Elections) Quorum is only set at 30% for substantial decisions (not defined), no quorum for other decisions (Section B: Decision Making) Union members (other students) can bring charges against any other member Can charge with anything that is “against the good and welfare of GET-UP” (Subsection A1: Determining and Filing Charges) Hearing panel can appoint itself and can unilaterally dismiss charges Has the potential to be abused

Pan-Graduate School Unionization Pan-graduate unionization assumes all schools want union representation Trying to represent twelve disparate schools is challenging Each school has its own priorities, graduation requirements, etc GET-UP has not addressed what issues they will prioritize or how they will determine which to prioritize Possibility for one school to push for something that would harm another (for example, limits on work hours)

Union Dues and Budget If GET-UP wins, they will be the sole representative to the administration for graduate students. You can not opt out of their representation Dues will be set by the union Most likely around $600-$700 (2% of pre-tax income, based on GET-UP’s own estimates and NYU union’s dues) Might have to pay more to be a full member with voting privileges Will generate approximately $3,500,000 annually for GET-UP (based on 5000 grads) Approximately $1-2 million will leave Penn and go to AFT/AFL-CIO (based on AFT/AFL-CIO bylaws and Cornell union estimates) GET-UP has not proposed a budget or estimated expenditures

Possible Benefits of GET-UP Unionization A common argument is that the university would be legally required to bargain with the union Penn has demonstrated a strong willingness to address and correct issues raised by students. There is no guarantee that our benefits would increase. Penn couldn’t increase benefits without the union’s approval. The ability to strike to push for additional benefits A strike would be more detrimental to research students than to the university or teaching assistants. A union member could be fined if they work during the strike. Without the power to strike, the union has no leverage.

Current Benefits-Dental and Vision Penn Dental (No Union) NYU Dental (Union) Locations 3 1 Provider Certified Dentists (D.D.S) Students in training Diagnostic and Preventive Care 100% (Two cleanings/exams per year, includes X-Rays) Restorative Care 80% 100% Oral Surgery 80% (Also covered under student insurance) 0-20% Endodontics & Periodontics Prosthodontics 50% Implant Surgery Orthodontics 50% (Includes Invisalign) 10% Occlusal Nightguards Annual Coverage $1500 N/A Annual Deductible $50 Cost $199 $0 Benefit Penn Vision (No Union) NYU Vision (Union) Health Insurance Cost $0 $269.70 Coverage 90% (Eye and Contact Exam) 100% Locations Numerous clinics in Philly 1 (Student Health Clinic) Eye Glasses/Contact Coverage No

Current Benefits-Families Description Paid Maternity/Paternity Leave 8 weeks paid time off (16 weeks total if both parents are graduate students). Includes adoption as well as birth. Family Leave Up to one year off with no impact on degree requirements/progression Family Grant Program Up to $6700 per year for any expenses related to raising a child. Awards are based on number of children and expected costs. Subsidized Childcare Reduced rate at Penn’s childcare facility. Emergency Childcare In-home daycare during emergencies, available 24/7. Fund for Families $1,000,000 dedicated to help cover the costs of dependent healthcare insurance and other expenses NYU union won $250,000 to cover childcare costs Temple union (public-AFT) won 5 days for maternity/paternity leave

Current Benefits-International Students Dedicated building for international students (international house) Penn currently has 16 full time staff through the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) dedicated to helping students Legal services are available through GAPSA NYU union contract had no mention of international students AFT specifically states that they can not provide legal assistance

Current Benefits-Stipends/Other Benefits Stipends have increased at ~2% per year NYU won a 2.25-2.5% stipend increase, but union dues are 2% Category Benefit Health Fully covered health insurance $10 mental health copay 50% subsidized dental insurance Covered gym membership Other Free legal help Travel grants for conferences

Conclusions GET-UP’s currently proposed union has significant concerns Pan-graduate school unionization could drown out smaller schools Constitution is vague about how the organization will run Unclear how much influence the AFT/AFL-CIO has Our benefits are already better than what other unions have received BGS could be negatively affected by unionization Would prevent us from dealing directly with our administration BGS could be outvoted and our needs might not be adequately addressed School-specific unionization could alleviate concerns Allow schools to address their own needs Lower dues (not partnered with an outside union) Laura