We’ve received official dates for our upcoming union election — Ballots will be mailed to faculty home addresses from the PLRB on April 1, 2026 and must be returned by mail by Wednesday, May 6, 2026!
It’s time to make sure our voices are heard. We’re building momentum, and your vote is crucial. Make sure your ballot arrives and is counted. This election will decide whether faculty across all Commonwealth Campuses and University Park, including tenured and non-tenure line, will form a strong union and a meaningful voice in decisions at Penn State affecting pay, job security, working conditions, and our students’ success. It is we, Penn State faculty, who will decide to form our union through a secret ballot election.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Our union petition was filed with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) on December 9, 2025. Over the last several weeks, PSFA and the Administration have worked with the PLRB to finalize the election details.
- A mail-in ballot election will be held, and every eligible faculty member will decide whether to form a union. Ballots will be mailed to faculty on Wednesday, April 1 and must be returned to the Harrisburg Office of the PLRB by May 6, 2024.
- If you do not receive your ballot at your home address by Friday, April 10 at 8:30 AM, you should communicate immediately with the PLRB by sending an email request for a ballot to katowens@pa.gov. The email must include your typed full name, mailing address, job title, reason for the request, and the name of your employer (Pennsylvania State University) for a ballot to be issued.
- The last day to request a duplicate or challenged ballot is Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
- Ballots must be returned to and received by the Board in its Harrisburg office by Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
- Ballots will be counted beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
If you have questions about the voting process, how ballots are mailed, or updating your address, email psfainquiries@gmail.com. Faculty organizers will be reaching out as we continue to build our union and move forward to win our election.
When will the vote occur?
Ballots will be mailed on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. They must be returned to the Harrisburg office of the PLRB by Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Who is eligible to vote?
We have petitioned to represent all faculty at the University Park campus, in the University Libraries, and at the Commonwealth Campuses. We did not petition to represent the College of Medicine, but we would support these faculty in organizing their own union in the future.
I am a faculty member, not an administrator. Why was I left off the eligible voter list for our union election by the administration?
The administration decided to leave a sizable group of faculty off the voter list due to what we consider an overly expansive definition of “supervisor.” They have excluded from the voter list any faculty who would otherwise be included if they have postdocs, staff, or other faculty underneath them in the Penn State organizational chart. We, as PSFA, did not and do not agree with this definition of a supervisor. Moreover, we don’t believe it has legal validity. For instance, it is not how Pitt, Temple, or the PASSHE schools define a supervisor, and there is no case law that supports their argument. The PLRB will have to rule on this issue after we win our vote, but we are committed to fighting to keep the faculty united at Penn State. If you are a faculty member who has been incorrectly left off the voter list by the administration, you can contact the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) at katowens@pa.gov to request one.
Will the administration see how I vote?
No. Only agents of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will see our election ballots.
