Penn State faculty vote to unionize. Here’s what to know and what’s next

Penn State faculty voted to form a union in one of Pennsylvania’s largest public sector union elections in nearly 50 years. The Penn State Faculty Alliance will represent more than 5,000 professors and instructors across the commonwealth campuses.

FULL STORY: Penn State faculty vote to unionize in one of PA’s largest public sector union elections

Here are key takeaways:

• A total of 3,357 faculty members voted, with 2,510 voting yes in the election, which ran from April 1 to May 6 by mail ballot. The Penn State Faculty Alliance is affiliated with SEIU Local 668.
• The union will represent faculty of every rank and discipline across Penn State campuses, including tenured and contingent faculty and full-time and part-time instructors.
• Organizing efforts began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when faculty said the university imposed classroom policies without adequate input or support, according to organizing committee member Heather Page.
• Faculty have also cited concerns about upcoming campus closures and the implementation of AI as reasons for unionizing.
• The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board is expected to certify the results in the coming weeks. The union and university will then begin negotiating a first contract, a process that can take several months.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.