Tuesday, December 9

Media Contact: Samantha Shewmaker, samantha.shewmaker@seiu668.org

(Harrisburg, PA) Penn State faculty members have filed to form a union with the Penn State Faculty Alliance (PSFA)–⁠SEIU Local 668. Today, members of the Organizing Committee were joined by fellow union allies from across the state and the country in Harrisburg, as they announced the filing—the largest union campaign in Pennsylvania’s public sector in decades. The union will represent thousands of faculty, including tenured and contingent, full-time and part-time faculty across Penn State University campuses.

“I started organizing because I saw where Penn State was heading - with decisions that affect thousands being made by a small group of wealthy individuals, far removed from the classrooms and communities we serve. The campus closures are a symptom of a deeper crisis at the heart of our mission,” explained Julio Palma, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Penn State Fayette. “A faculty union would give us a real voice to defend our jobs with dignity, protect academic freedom, support our students, and uphold the public mission of this university.”

“I love the work I do every day. When I talk with my colleagues, I hear stories of great care for their students, their work, and each other, but I also hear frustration, disappointment, and even anger about our working conditions. The deep care we have for our students, for our research, for our community, as strong as it is, cannot sustain us through burnout, unrealistic workloads, staffing challenges, low pay, and uncertain job security,” remarked Kate Ragon, Assistant Clinical Professor of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State University Park. “We are forming a union because we want a voice in the decision-making that affects us, our students, and our work.”

Faculty organizers were joined by SEIU International Secretary-Treasurer Rocío Sáenz, “No full-time faculty member at Penn State should have to work two or three jobs just to get by. Across the country, when faculty choose to organize, their schools become stronger. They win better pay. They gain more fairness and transparency. They protect academic freedom. We have seen this again and again: when educators form a union, they succeed. And we are confident that Penn State faculty will succeed, too.”

“I got involved in the PSFA because all faculty at Penn State need to have a democratic, member-driven organization that represents their interests. All the things a land-grant institution does are done by its faculty, so a faculty union is the best way to ensure that the land-grant mission of research, teaching, and outreach is preserved for all Pennsylvanians. Whether I am still working or retired, my students’ children and their families all should have access to a quality Penn State education in the future—and a faculty union is the best way to ensure that,” stated Victor Brunsden, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Penn State Altoona.

“We look forward to standing with Penn State Faculty members fighting to form a union in the months and years ahead. Faculty members are determined to improve their working conditions and students’ learning conditions and hold Penn State accountable to Pennsylvania workers and families,” said SEIU 668 President Steve Catanese in closing.