Members of Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania/AFT (GET-UP) swarmed the first floor of the university's main administration building May 8 in a day-long "work-in" to protest the university's appeal of union elections held in February.  For eight hours, more than 150 GET-UP members graded papers and exams and conducted meetings with students outside the office of university president Judith Rodin.

"The action highlighted the poor working conditions for graduate employees, many of whom have no offices," said Rachel Buurma, GET-UP spokesperson. The university's appeal is simply "legal stalling tactics" to prevent a vote count, she noted. The work-in is the first in a series of events designed to pressure the university to withdraw its appeal and to recognize the union.

In November 2002, an NLRB regional director ruled that GET-UP had the right to hold union elections. The election for the unit of 1,000 was held February 26-27, but the votes were immediately impounded after the university filed an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. An exit poll conducted by the student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, showed that the union had won, 60 percent to 35 percent.

During the work-in on May 8, dozens of GET-UP members and their allies from the undergraduate student body, local labor unions and social justice groups entered the anteroom of Rodin's office asked to speak with her about the appeal.  Rodin refused.

"We know and they know that we won the election, declared GET-UP co-chairperson Joseph Cytrynbaum. "We will not give up until our votes are counted." [Heather Raiti]

[May 30, 2003]